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nemesyaaa · 4 months ago

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sweet babyface // toxic!bbydaddy!rafe x reader

summary ; rafe was decided to make your little one, a kook princess. and if it means to spend a million of dollars on a diamond swarovski tiara just to see it on the head of his daughter, you can be sure he's gonna do it.

warnings ; basically fluff but i would add +18 bc of a little bit of suggestive content but not real smut. mention of breeding kink. kind of toxic relationship. a bit of stalking. financial dependence. be aware of the warnings.

author's note ; i just wanted to mention @princessbrunette for the bbydaddy!rafe verse. you can check it on her account <3

even if you tried every time to keep him away, push him away, avoid him or chase him, rafe always came back. you could be cold, distant, suspicious and even cruel, he didn't care. by the way, he was better than you at that game anyway? it wasn’t for nothing that you always lost trying to fight him. he was winning while you were just exhausting yourself out. sometimes you wonder why you let him into your life, why you thought it would be a good idea to have a baby with him when everyone on the island told you he was unstable and uncontrollable. some even laughed at your situation, saying it was like giving something to the devil and hoping he doesn't use it against you.

you couldn't say rafe was a bad father. your daughter had always been outrageously spoiled. he always gave her the biggest and greatest gifts. nothing was ever good enough for his princess. he always thought big when it came to his baby. even if you were a pogue, he wanted to raise her as a fucking kook.

and sometimes you wondered if he did all this out of pure fatherly love or out of narcissism or ego.even if you hated him so much, he absolutely needed to make sure your child was on his side. every time he was there, it was like you no longer existed. the house was full of "dad," "daddy, “ or “ papa, " and babbling and laughing. it was always his name, she never called you. and you always felt a pang in your heart every time he grabbed her in his big veiny arms, making her the happiest little girl before taking her away from you to go on some weekly trips.

even when he was not at home, it was always with the toys he gave her that she played, the dresses he gave her that she wore, the hairstyles that he validated by facetime that she asked you to make, the meals he delivered that she wanted to eat. she was truly daddy’s girl. even in her facial features.

so no matter how much you tried to ignore him, he was still there somehow . through the demands of your daughter, the hundreds of deliveries a day to your door, the objects in this house and even its walls because he was obviously the one who paid for it.

you didn't need to work. you had access to all his cards. at first you spent tons of money on unnecessary expenses hoping it would drive him crazy but the next day you saw that even more money had been added to the bank account.

but rafe cameron didn't give you access to his banking data out of pure kindness and affection alone. he was also looking for a way to control you, and stay in your life. then, with that, he could also stalk you and do inappropriate things like when you bought lingerie and he received the bill. he couldn't stop himself from sending you a message. “don't want to see me, but you dress yourself like you want me to give you a second baby ;) ”

the only rule was that you were forbidden from going to see another man and even less from inviting him to the house. he manipulated you by saying it was for your daughter's mental balance but it was purely out of jealousy. and you knew it very well. you weren't the stupid naive girl he had gaslighted in the past and who he could lie to so easily anymore.

one day, you were giving your kid the extremely expensive cupcakes rafe had bought for her breakfast, trying not to comment on the ridiculousness of the prices but especially the situation, and there was a knock at the door. when you saw through the blinder that it was him, you stepped back discreetly, swallowing hard to not clench. your heart was beating fast in your ribcage as you were trying to silence your stepfoots.

“I know you're here.” you had heard his loud firm raspy voice through the door. “baby, i can hear you breathing and backing up from here. come on, i thought we both get over the time i scared you. ”

he continued to knock on the door until your old neighbor called you claiming that a crazy madman was in front of your house and didn't want to leave.

you had been forced to open up to him which made you even angrier.

but that didn’t stop him from smiling at you, the insatiable white colgate smile. his clean and fresh mullet was long enough that hair brushed the back of his neck. he was wearing one of his perfect black suits with the sleeves rolled up to show a glimpse of his nice shirt. a Rolex was tight around his veiny wrist, and the same rings he always wore were wrapped around his fingers.

he had his ear pierced recently with your daughter. you had been against it, but she still wanted to do like her father so you had no authority over the sweet monster. but you had to admit that the jewelry suited them both so well. especially on rafe, you couldn't help but think about kissing his ear, but especially biting his earlobe while caressing the silver piercing until it's wet and rolling against your tongue. all this perhaps while thinking of having a baby again.

“I should be allowed to come here whenever I want. " he had sworn under his breath, staring at you with his evil blue eyes.

“tell me what you have to say or I’ll call the police.” you replied shortly.

"I want to see my girl. I mean, the one who likes to call me daddy. "

“It’s not funny and she doesn’t want to…”

you hadn't had time to finish speaking before your babyface's little footsteps were running on the floor to come into the hall.

“daddy! " she exclaimed before being carried off the ground to snuggle into her father's strong arms, her little frame being hidden by the size of his biceps.

“that's my little girl.” he welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek, making her chuckle.

"I missed you! please, stay !" your kid had asked with bubbly face and pleading eyes, her childish pout so irresistible to say no.

“of course, I’m staying.”

“raf…” you started but he ignored you, walking in the house without your permission into the living room.

“I have something for you, peaches. ”

he took a present out of his bag and you rolled your eyes. you already knew it was going to be something crazy like the giant dollhouse he built in her bedroom, or the huge dinette in the playroom, or a scary tall comfort teddy bear that she couldn't even carry in her tiny hands. sometimes you wondered what he could offer to her because she already had everything. he had literally built her a heaven.

your daughter's eyes widened in surprise, while a smile floated across her lips in excitement. she opened the gift and took out a silver tiara set with diamonds and stunning crystals signed by Swarovski.

“she’s a baby, rafe…” you commented.

"no, she's a princess. " he corrected you and fixed your little one's hair before putting the tiara on her head, and placing a smack on her forehead. “ don't you see that kook babyface ? ”

she giggled before wrapping her hands around his neck to thank him.

“we need to talk.” you said.

"later. i have a princess to honor for now."

you wanted to fight back and kill him but you couldn't resist your daughter's face. she was happy to be with her father. and you knew it was important for girls to establish a strong bond with their father. and there was this bright spark that shone in her eyes every time she saw him that made you melt.

so you let him stay at home. he stayed with her all day. she managed to make him do whatever she wanted, and that's how he found himself playing with dolls, watching the princess and the frog, doing karaoke to barbie songs, serving as a client for a makeup session, and judging all of her princess dresses while she was making him a haul.

No matter how angry you were that he showed up like that and decided to stay, you couldn't deny the fact that he was damn good, that in the moment, you couldn't find any reason not to like him, even when he caught you spying on them and sent you a smirk to remember that you had no control.

you had decided to do some cleaning, to leave them both for a bit until the end of the day. after a long moment, rafe decided to leave her alone for a bit.

you were downstairs, and you were making food. he raised an eyebrow when he saw you. “don’t forget me.”

“no I’m sorry, I’m cooking for two and you’re not included in it.”

“I was included in this pussy to make you a baby so you can include me in this meal for one night, baby. ‘s nothing. ” he shouted back, chewing some gum arrogantly.

“don’t be trashy.”

"you used to like this..." he carefully said, because he knew he was treading on sensitive ground.

he stood in front of you, picking a taste of the ranch sauce from the bowl before putting it in his mouth. you watched him do it, glaring at the smile on his so fucking evil lickable lips.

“ taste's good. ”

“I want you to leave. “

"We should ask every part of your body if they're okay with this. Maybe it would put you back into your place to feel betrayed by your own self. "

“You’re not good for her.” you confessed.

“I am her father. And from what i know, she's very happy with me. You're the one to have a problem with my presence here. ”

"Please, leave the house. I don't want to call the police."

“exactly, baby.” he moved to stand behind you, rearranging a strand of your hair, his breath hot on the back of your neck. “you don’t want to do it. And you're not forced to do it…” he caressed your hand, slowly putting the knife away from your fingers.

“Step back.”

"I want to stay here tonight. Just this night. She really wants me to stay and would it be cruel to make her sad? You don't want to be the villain, right ? "

“don’t try to manipulate me.”

" mmh, just telling the truth and it makes you mad. you can hate me if you want but she needs me. i'm her dad and you know if I wanted to, I could make her come with me but I love seeing you together. you're a great mom.”

"you will sleep on the couch. and that is non-negotiable. you don't try anything with me, is that okay?"

“Come on, we can sleep together. We are mature and consenting adults.” he replied. "There's nothing I haven't seen before, baby. I know all that lingerie as well as that body hidden behind it."

“about that, stop stalking my bills.”

"Mine , baby. you mean, my bills. these are my cards that you use for your pleasures so I have the right to have an eye on them. even more so when I receive bills for sex toys. you should call me instead of handling it? yourself.”

"After trying them, I'm not sure that you're big enough now. “

jesus, you knew how to provoke him and it worked. he had sniffed the air loudly, trying to contain himself because honestly, he only wanted one thing at the moment, a strong urge that was to fuck you dirty on that counter until he was sure to see your hole tearing to death and dripping to get his cock in. jesus, yeah, he would give anything to see you grimace because it will never fit in but prove you wrong by giving you a second baby.

his jaw was tense and his nostrils were flared. he was forced to clench his fist to avoid touching you. " the day when your babygirl will want a little sister or brother, you better be begging on all fours on my fucking doorstep to convince me to give you another baby. so better to start now and stretch that hole very hard before it's happening because i'm gonna make sure to be breeding you enough to change your whole dna. ”

“ aren't you tired of thr…”

“mom, dad, what are you talking about?” the little girl burst into the kitchen, still with her tiara on her head. a smile appeared when she saw that her dad was still there. because it was rare for him to stay that late.

you warned rafe with your eyes, slashing violently at pieces of vegetables with the knife back in your hand.

“ we were thinking that i could stay tonight. what's your thoughts on this, little one ? want daddy to stay ? ”

“ yes ! i don't want you to leave. stay foreveeeer with me. ”

“ but you know, he can't. he's a businessman. ” you replied.

“ what do you mean, baby ? my only business is right here. ”

” Rafe. ” you said.

“ Baby ? ” he replied with a cocky smile. “ Why don't you tell us what you're cooking ? Seems delicious. Maybe we could get a taste. ”

“ Sweetie, can you go to your room for a second ? I need to talk with your dad. It's not gonna be long. ”

She pouted but agreed after Rafe promised her something if she was listening to her mom.

“you know you can’t stay. "

"All I know is that there is my name in the papers of this house, on your bills, and even on your documents. If I can't stay, you can't escape. So what's better ? ”

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cazshmere · 6 months ago

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12th House Sign in the Natal Chart and How you can Heal and Find Closure from Past Wounds 🩵

materialist🔖

DISCLAIMER : healing is a journey, not a destination, and everyone moves at their own pace. these tips are here to give you a nudge, not to create pressure or perfection. if you’re reading this and some things resonate, that’s wonderful :) take what feels right and leave the rest. and remember, there’s no one right way to heal or find closure. it’s okay to stumble, feel lost, or take a break. trust that every small step forward, even the tiniest ones, are part of the process. be kind to yourself along the way; you’re doing the best you can 🩵

🧩 aries in the 12th house

1. you’re bold in action, but sometimes hesitant in introspection. reflect on fears you might avoid and tackle them directly, like you would any challenge.

2. pent-up frustrations weigh on your subconscious. try activities like boxing, painting, or writing letters you’ll never send.

3. give yourself time alone without needing constant action. Silence and stillness help you get in touch with buried emotions.

4. reflect on times you acted quickly and accept that growth often means making mistakes.

5. indulge in something silly, like playing a game or watching cartoons. It helps you reconnect with yourself. watching your comfort movie with your favourite snacks will surely help

HEALING TIP : try journaling with a twist : write letters to yourself from different ages, like your 5-year-old self or your future self, to see your emotions from new perspectives. this could be super cathartic for you and help you move through the hard feelings holding you back also try meditation that is targeted towards inner peace

🧩 taurus in the 12th house

1. learn to release your hold on past pain. Healing for you often means loosening your grip on comfort zones, even in memories.

2. reflect on areas where you’ve felt unappreciated, finding self-worth from within rather than external validation.

3. you resist change, so make small, gradual adjustments to your daily life that invite healing over time.

4. practice acceptance of things you cannot control or predict; even small, symbolic acts like letting go of a token can help.

5. revisit an old hobby that once brought you joy, like gardening, knitting, or cooking. it’ll remind you of your inner peace.

HEALING TIP : try a sensory grounding exercise: touch something soft, listen to calming music, and smell something grounding like lavender to soothe your mind and body. also something that can temporarily help is watching a super scary movie or just eating spicy food, it can help you distract yourself from your thoughts, at least momentarily

🧩 gemini in the 12th house

1. your mind runs fast, but your 12th house challenges you to slow down and acknowledge buried insecurities.

2. release old narratives, whether it’s past gossip, harsh words, or regrets, let go of thoughts that weigh you down. Practice rephrasing past stories with kindness.

3. try creative outlets that let you express emotions without words, like art or dance, to connect with deeper feelings.

4. when you socialize, make time for connections that feel supportive and honest, without intellectual posturing.

5. quieting your inner monologue helps you access the quiet truths below the surface. Breathing exercises can help here.

HEALING TIP : try recording voice memos on your phone when you feel overwhelmed. Sometimes saying things out loud can help you make sense of them faster than writing.

🧩 cancer in the 12th house

1. you tend to tuck away your deepest fears. Make time to reflect on past emotions without judgment or the need to ‘fix’ them.

2. address any unconscious attachment to people or situations that no longer serve you, knowing it’s okay to need change.

3. offer compassion to yourself, revisit times when you felt misunderstood or unsupported, and give your younger self the love they needed.

4. learn to let go without feeling abandoned. Spend time nurturing your sense of self apart from your relationships.

5. forgive old wounds, allow yourself to release grudges or hurts, understanding that they don’t define your future connections.

HEALING TIP : write a letter to someone from your past you’ve never fully moved on from, then release it (you don’t have to send it).

🧩 leo in the 12th house

1. step back from needing validation, explore who you are outside of praise or recognition. spend time with yourself, just being rather than performing.

2. acknowledge areas where you might have felt rejected or unappreciated. practice self-love that doesn’t rely on others’ feedback.

3. try activities where you’re a beginner. learning something new can help you find power in vulnerability.

4. let go of ego-driven fears, focus on what makes you feel genuinely fulfilled, not just admired. reframe your goals around personal joy rather than approval.

5. reclaim your authenticity by exploring what brings you joy outside of an audience, like a private creative hobby that brings you peace.

HEALING TIP : try visualising your inner child, close your eyes and picture yourself as a child full of hope and joy, and send love to that younger version of you.

🧩 virgo in the 12th house

1. acknowledge that some things don’t need fixing. practice letting go without feeling the need to control every detail.

2. practice self-compassion, allow room for mistakes and honor your efforts without focusing solely on flaws. embrace your progress, not perfection.

3. stop overanalyzing (ik it’s hard but your overthinking is what causes majority of your problems, the more you overthink the more power you’re giving to those unwanted thoughts) give your mind permission to take a break. activities like meditative gardening or painting can help soothe the inner critic.

4. connect with your intuition, trust your instincts rather than rationalizing everything. allow yourself to simply “know” without overthinking it.

5. embrace the chaos haha, let things be messy or spontaneous without judgment. Flexibility helps you grow beyond rigid expectations.

HEALING TIP : try writing a list of what you’re grateful for, it's a simple but powerful tool to shift your focus from worries to abundance.

🧩 libra in the 12th house

1. find comfort in solitude, learn to enjoy your own company, separate from others’ opinions or companionship. practice inner peace.

2. let go of past people-pleasing, allow yourself to address buried feelings of resentment that may stem from overextending for others.

3. balance your inner harmony, focus on inner alignment rather than external harmony. Journaling or meditating on your needs helps you center.

4. heal relationship wounds, reflect on past connections that left an impact. release blame, knowing each taught you something valuable.

5. set boundaries with yourself, give yourself permission to say “no” without guilt. embrace your inner balance, free from others’ demands.

HEALING TIP : you can try a heart-centered meditation to connect with self-love and release neediness for outside validation or try a balance-focused yoga routine, it can be both grounding and soothing, helping you connect with your inner equilibrium.

🧩 scorpio in the 12th house

1. embrace your emotional vulnerability, lean into your feelings without fearing loss or control. Sharing emotions helps relieve hidden weight.

2. release grudges (ik this is something hard for you but letting go is better than holding on to the things that cause you problems - forgive but don’t forget perhaps), practice forgiveness as a way of releasing old hurts that drain you.

3. face your darkest worries with courage, knowing they don’t define you. Write them down and let them go.

4. reclaim personal power, you’re literally THAT bitch don’t forget that queen, focus on how you can empower yourself from within, instead of seeking control externally.

5. trust others with your feelings when it feels right; vulnerability can be deeply healing.

HEALING TIP : you can try shadow journaling by exploring both light and dark thoughts to understand yourself more deeply or if you want something fun instead try listening to a mystery podcast or an immersive story app where you can dive into thrilling narratives. this helps you tap into your emotional depth while being entertained, offering healing through mystery and intrigue.

🧩 sagittarius in the 12th house

1. look inward for meaning, sometimes answers lie within, not in new experiences. find fulfillment in self-reflection rather than escapism.

2. explore spiritual grounding, sagittarius craves meaning, so find practices that connect you to a sense of purpose, like guided meditation.

3. release judgment and let go of self-criticism about past “mistakes.” accept that growth is a journey, not a fixed outcome.

4. embrace introspection by giving your adventurous mind permission to slow down and find contentment in stillness.

5. cultivate patience please (so so important) you may be prone to quick fixes; practice patience with yourself and your journey to healing.

HEALING TIP : start a personal travel vlog (even if it's just to document your local adventures) or use digital journaling apps to record your thoughts, dreams, and philosophical insights. It’ll allow you to process your emotions while in a fun way <3

🧩 capricorn in the 12th house

1. release pressure to always be “on”, let go of needing to achieve every moment. It’s okay to just “be” sometimes, without a goal in sight.

2. forgive your past mistakes, address any old guilt you’re holding onto. you’re allowed to grow beyond your old decisions and learn without punishment.

3. embrace vulnerability (very important) being open about your feelings doesn’t weaken you; it strengthens your ability to understand and trust yourself.

4. trust life’s timing, not everything has to be perfectly planned. lean into moments of uncertainty and find peace in simply experiencing.

5. reflect on your worth beyond productivity, spend time exploring who you are outside of what you “do” or “produce.”

HEALING TIP : try weekly self-check-ins to connect with your needs and desires, away from the hustle of daily demands.

🧩 aquarius in the 12th house

1. embrace your quirks and shadows, you have a unique mind, so allow yourself to be different even in your struggles. reflect on hidden fears and accept them.

2. let go of needing to understand everything, release the need to overanalyze or intellectualize every emotion; trust that some things are just felt, not solved.

3. balance independence with connection, don’t isolate yourself too much. healing also comes through genuine human connections.

4. explore spontaneous introspection, give yourself the freedom to meditate or journal in unconventional ways, like painting or singing.

5. lean into self-compassion, you may be hard on yourself for being “too different” or processing wounds and hurts “differently” but learn to embrace that unique perspective as your strength.

HEALING TIP : try creative expression exercises that bring your thoughts to life, like freeform art, dance, editing, posting stuff online (blogs, reels etch) or sound journaling helps too.

🧩 pisces in the 12th house

1. set healthy boundaries with emotions, your empathy can pull you into others’ feelings. spend time differentiating between your own emotions and theirs.

2. give yourself closure without finality, understand that sometimes closure isn’t perfect or neat, and let go of needing every question answered.

3. create a soothing retreat, build a healing environment, like a cozy corner or blanket fort lmao, where you can escape and connect with your inner peace.

4. release victim mentality, move beyond past hardships by reclaiming your personal power and seeing yourself as a survivor, not a sufferer.

5. TRUST. YOUR. INTUITION. you’re naturally in touch with the unseen. lean into that gift by tuning into your feelings without judgment.

HEALING TIP : create a healing playlist filled with calming music, or even soothing ASMR sounds, to help you unwind and feel safe in your own space.

banner & pic credits to the rightful owners <3

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esotericalchemist · 8 months ago

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𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧 - 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 ❃°•

Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

Chiron in astrology represents the deepest wounds we carry, often rooted in past experiences or emotional traumas. These wounds are not merely physical but are connected to our sense of identity, self-worth, and ability to heal. Chiron shows us where we feel the most vulnerable and where we often face repeated challenges. However, these wounds are also the key to our greatest healing and transformation. By confronting and working through the pain associated with Chiron, we can access profound wisdom and inner strength. The journey with Chiron is not just about healing ourselves but also about learning how to use that healing to help others. As we move through the discomfort and pain, we discover that what once wounded us can become the very thing that empowers us, leading to greater compassion, self-awareness, and personal growth.

𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Aries highlights wounds related to self-identity, personal courage, and asserting oneself. Individuals with this placement often face challenges around self-confidence, experiencing self-doubt or fearing failure. You may believe you don’t deserve recognition or find it difficult to take initiative and assert your individuality, which creates a deep-seated wound around personal power and self-assurance. Healing occurs by embracing your inherent worth and developing the confidence to lead, assert yourself, and go after what you desire. It involves learning to take bold actions without fear of rejection and affirming your right to be seen, heard, and appreciated.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may struggle with asserting your identity and feel uneasy taking the lead, often worrying about how others view you. Healing: Embrace your uniqueness and express yourself boldly without seeking approval. Healing comes from owning your presence and taking initiative with confidence.

2nd House:Wound: The wound is linked to self-worth and value, creating insecurities about your ability to provide for yourself or assert your values. Healing: Recognize your worth beyond material wealth or external validation. Build confidence in your personal values and take charge of creating your own sense of security.

3rd House:Wound: You might doubt your communication abilities, feeling insecure about expressing your ideas or asserting your opinions. Healing: Practice speaking up and trust in your intellect. Healing comes from expressing your thoughts with confidence, knowing that your voice matters.

4th House:Wound: You may struggle with feeling emotionally secure or connected to your family, leading to discomfort when asserting yourself in your home environment. Healing: Create emotional stability by affirming your right to feel supported and safe. Healing comes from standing up for your needs within your family and fostering your own sense of belonging.

5th House:Wound: You might fear expressing your creativity or worry about rejection in your love life or when showcasing your talents. Healing: Allow yourself to embrace creativity without fearing judgment. Take risks in love and self-expression, knowing your talents are valid and worthy of appreciation.

6th House:Wound: You may feel undervalued in your work or struggle to assert your needs in daily routines, leading to feelings of inadequacy or being overwhelmed. Healing: Stand up for your worth in the workplace and assert boundaries in your daily life. Healing comes from taking control and recognizing the value you bring to your work and routine.

7th House:Wound: You may hesitate to assert your needs in relationships, fearing rejection or conflict, which can lead to suppressing your desires. Healing: Learn to assert yourself in partnerships without fear. Healing comes from valuing your individuality within relationships and establishing healthy boundaries based on mutual respect.

8th House:Wound: You might fear vulnerability and struggle to assert control over shared resources, intimacy, or emotional depth, leading to feelings of powerlessness. Healing: Embrace vulnerability as a strength and assert your right to equal power in shared situations. Healing comes from allowing deep emotional connections and standing confidently in joint endeavors.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about asserting your philosophical or spiritual beliefs, fearing judgment or alienation. Healing: Stand firm in your beliefs and pursue your vision of the world with confidence. Healing comes from embracing your own truth and expanding your horizons without fear.

10th House:Wound: You might feel insecure about asserting yourself in your career or public life, fearing failure or judgment in professional aspirations. Healing: Take bold steps in your career, knowing that success comes from embracing responsibility and asserting your talents. Healing comes from trusting your ability to thrive in public roles.

11th House:Wound: You may feel out of place in group settings, struggling to assert your individuality in social circles or communities. Healing: Embrace your unique contributions and take leadership roles within groups confidently. Healing comes from finding your place in social settings without conforming to others' expectations.

12th House:Wound: This wound relates to unconscious fears, making it difficult to assert yourself in spiritual or solitary pursuits, or creating a fear of being overlooked. Healing: Embrace solitude and your spiritual journey, learning to assert your inner strength without relying on external validation. Healing comes from recognizing your deep inner power and connection to the universe.

𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Taurus highlights wounds around self-worth, stability, and security, especially in the material and physical realms. Individuals with this placement may struggle with feeling valued or secure, often fearing scarcity or instability in their lives. You may find it difficult to feel satisfied with what you have or struggle with body image and physical comfort, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Healing for Chiron in Taurus comes from building a sense of self-worth that doesn’t rely on external validation or material possessions. It’s about cultivating inner security, learning to enjoy life’s pleasures without guilt, and trusting that your needs will be met. Developing a deeper connection to your self-worth is key to this healing journey.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may struggle with insecurity about your physical appearance or self-worth, fearing that you aren’t enough or aren’t desirable. Healing: Focus on building a healthy relationship with your body and appearance. Healing comes from self-acceptance and developing confidence that transcends the physical.

2nd House:Wound: The wound centers around financial insecurity and feeling like you never have enough. You may fear scarcity or place your self-worth on material possessions. Healing: Cultivate a sense of value that goes beyond material things. Healing comes from building inner security and trusting that you can meet your needs without relying on external measures of success.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel inadequate when communicating your values or ideas, struggling with expressing yourself or doubting the importance of your voice. Healing: Healing comes from learning to communicate with confidence and trusting that your thoughts and opinions are valuable, even if they differ from others’.

4th House:Wound: Your wound may revolve around emotional or material instability in your home life. You may feel ungrounded or disconnected from your family environment. Healing: Create emotional security within yourself and build a space, physical or emotional, where you feel safe and nurtured. Healing comes from finding a sense of stability and comfort in your personal environment.

5th House:Wound: You may fear expressing your creativity or feel undeserving of life’s pleasures, struggling with self-doubt in creative or romantic pursuits. Healing: Embrace your creative and romantic sides without needing external validation. Allow yourself to experience joy and pleasure freely, knowing that your expressions are worthy and valuable.

6th House:Wound: You may feel undervalued in your work or struggle with health and body image issues, leading to feelings of inadequacy in your daily routines. Healing: Focus on creating a balanced routine that nurtures both your mind and body. Healing comes from recognizing the value of your work and caring for your physical and mental well-being.

7th House:Wound: The wound centers around relationships, particularly feeling valued by partners. You may struggle with self-worth in partnerships, fearing rejection or inadequacy. Healing: Build a sense of self-worth that isn’t dependent on a partner’s validation. Healing comes from setting healthy boundaries and fostering relationships that are based on mutual respect and value.

8th House:Wound: You may fear vulnerability or struggle with issues of trust in intimacy and shared resources, feeling a need to maintain control. Healing: Embrace vulnerability as a strength and trust in your ability to navigate intimate connections. Healing comes from building trust in shared resources and learning to let go of the need for control in emotionally charged situations.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your beliefs or struggle to find a sense of meaning or purpose in life, fearing judgment or rejection for your philosophical views. Healing: Embrace your unique perspective and trust in your personal journey. Healing comes from exploring new ideas and trusting that your beliefs and worldview are valuable.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your career, public image, or professional success, worrying about being undervalued or judged by society. Healing: Define success on your own terms and focus on building a career that aligns with your true values, not just societal expectations. Healing comes from trusting in your long-term achievements and feeling proud of the path you choose.

11th House:Wound: You may feel like an outsider in social groups or fear that you don’t contribute enough to society or group efforts, leading to feelings of disconnection. Healing: Find communities that resonate with your values and contribute meaningfully to collective goals. Healing comes from trusting that your unique qualities are valuable and that you have a meaningful role in group settings.

12th House:Wound: This wound is tied to feelings of isolation or spiritual disconnection, possibly manifesting as fear of losing touch with reality or struggling to trust life’s flow. Healing: Embrace solitude as a path to self-awareness and inner peace. Healing comes from developing spiritual practices that help you feel connected to the universe and trusting in the natural flow of life.

𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Gemini highlights wounds around communication, intellect, and self-expression. Individuals with this placement may struggle with feeling misunderstood or doubt their ability to communicate effectively. You may have experienced criticism or rejection when sharing your ideas, leading to insecurities about your intelligence and your capacity to connect with others through words. Healing involves embracing your unique voice and trusting your ability to communicate meaningfully. It’s essential to express yourself without fearing judgment and to recognize the inherent value of your ideas and words. Building confidence in your intellect and trusting that your voice matters are critical to the healing process.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may struggle with expressing your identity, feeling misunderstood or overlooked when trying to communicate who you are. Healing: Embrace your personal voice and assert your identity with confidence. Healing comes from expressing yourself without fear of being judged or misunderstood.

2nd House:Wound: The wound revolves around expressing your values and self-worth. You may feel insecure about your ability to communicate what you believe is valuable, both within yourself and materially. Healing: Build confidence in your values and express them clearly. Trust that your voice is essential in matters of worth, and that your contributions are meaningful.

3rd House:Wound: This wound directly affects communication. You may feel anxious about speaking up or fear that your ideas aren’t worthy of attention or respect. Healing: Trust your intellect and embrace your ability to communicate effectively. Practice speaking with confidence, knowing that your thoughts and ideas are valuable and deserving of attention.

4th House:Wound: You may have faced challenges communicating within your family, leading to feelings of isolation or not being heard in your home environment. Healing: Focus on improving communication in your family and creating emotional security. Healing comes from establishing an open, honest dialogue where you feel safe expressing yourself.

5th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing your creativity or worry that your talents won’t be appreciated or recognized. Healing: Embrace your creative voice and allow yourself to share your passions without fear of judgment. Healing comes from realizing that your self-expression is valid and valuable, regardless of external validation.

6th House:Wound: This wound may manifest in the workplace or daily routines, where you feel misunderstood or underappreciated for your efforts or ideas. Healing: Improve communication in your work life by asserting yourself more confidently in daily interactions. Healing comes from expressing your needs and ideas with clarity, especially in service roles.

7th House:Wound: You may struggle with communication in partnerships, fearing that your thoughts and feelings are not heard or valued by your partner. Healing: Work on expressing yourself openly in relationships. Healing comes from building trust in your ability to communicate effectively and being confident that your voice is valued in partnerships.

8th House:Wound: You may find it challenging to communicate about deep emotional issues, fearing vulnerability or that your emotions won’t be understood. Healing: Learn to express your deeper feelings and fears openly. Healing comes from trusting that vulnerability in communication can strengthen intimacy and foster transformation in relationships.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about sharing your beliefs or ideas, fearing they will be misunderstood or dismissed. Healing: Embrace your intellectual and spiritual voice, and trust that your beliefs are valid. Healing comes from confidently sharing your worldview and exploring new perspectives with an open heart.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about communicating your career goals or expressing yourself in professional settings, fearing judgment or failure. Healing: Work on clearly expressing your ambitions in your career. Healing comes from building confidence in your professional voice and trusting that your ideas hold value in your field.

11th House:Wound: You may feel like an outsider in group settings, fearing that your ideas are not accepted or that you can’t express yourself freely within social circles. Healing: Find communities that resonate with your interests and values. Healing comes from trusting that your voice contributes meaningfully to the collective and that your unique perspective enhances the group.

12th House:Wound: You may feel silenced or invisible, especially in spiritual or unconscious realms, fearing that your deeper thoughts or insights will be dismissed. Healing: Embrace spiritual practices that allow for self-expression and inner reflection. Healing comes from trusting your intuition and sharing your spiritual insights with confidence, even if it means expressing yourself in solitude.

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Cancer signifies wounds related to emotional security, family, nurturing, and belonging. Those with this placement may feel emotionally vulnerable, struggle with feelings of abandonment, or wrestle with a deep sense of being unloved or unsupported. These wounds can lead to difficulties in expressing or receiving emotional care, forming close relationships, and feeling at home within themselves or their family structures. Healing begins by developing emotional resilience and creating a strong inner sense of security. Embracing your sensitivity as a strength and learning to nurture yourself are crucial steps. Building emotional foundations that aren’t reliant on external validation and setting healthy boundaries within family or relationships will allow you to receive love and care without guilt.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your emotional sensitivity and how others perceive you, fearing rejection for your vulnerability. Healing: Embrace your emotional depth as part of your identity. Healing comes from accepting your sensitivity as a guiding strength rather than something to hide.

2nd House:Wound: The wound relates to insecurity around emotional and financial stability, often tied to feelings of unworthiness or a lack of nurturing. Healing: Develop a sense of self-worth that is not dependent on material security. Healing comes from trusting in your ability to provide emotional and financial support for yourself.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about sharing your emotions or experience misunderstandings in family communication. Healing: Practice expressing your feelings openly and trust your voice. Healing comes from learning to communicate your emotional needs confidently and feeling heard.

4th House:Wound: The wound is deeply connected to family and home life, often manifesting as feelings of abandonment or emotional neglect. Healing: Create your own sense of emotional security by nurturing yourself. Building a home environment that supports your emotional well-being is key to healing.

5th House:Wound: You may fear rejection in love and romance or struggle with expressing your emotions creatively. Healing: Allow yourself to express emotions in creative endeavors and personal relationships. Healing comes from embracing vulnerability and being open to love without the fear of rejection.

6th House:Wound: You might feel emotionally drained by work or daily routines, often feeling unappreciated for your emotional contributions. Healing: Set boundaries and prioritize self-care in your daily life. Healing comes from recognizing and honoring your emotional needs in both work and routine.

7th House:Wound: The wound revolves around close relationships, where you may feel emotionally insecure or fear abandonment. Healing: Build healthy emotional boundaries in partnerships and practice emotional openness without fear. Healing comes from trusting that emotional reciprocity is possible within relationships.

8th House:Wound: You may fear emotional intimacy or have trust issues in deep relationships, leading to difficulties in bonding emotionally with others. Healing: Embrace vulnerability and trust your ability to navigate deep emotional connections. Healing comes from allowing others to share your emotional world and fostering trust.

9th House:Wound: Emotional insecurity may arise around your beliefs or spiritual path, making you feel disconnected from a larger sense of belonging. Healing: Embrace your unique emotional and spiritual journey. Healing comes from trusting in your emotional wisdom and allowing your beliefs to guide you with confidence.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your public image or career, struggling to balance emotional needs with professional success. Healing: Integrate emotional care into your public and professional life. Healing comes from acknowledging your emotional needs while pursuing your ambitions and career goals.

11th House:Wound: You may feel emotionally disconnected or unsupported in social circles or larger community groups. Healing: Seek out or create communities where you feel emotionally safe and valued. Healing comes from embracing your emotional uniqueness and finding your place within a collective.

12th House:Wound: You may feel emotionally isolated or overwhelmed by unconscious fears, struggling to find inner peace. Healing: Embrace solitude as a source of emotional strength and develop spiritual practices that nurture your emotional world. Healing comes from finding peace within and trusting your connection to the greater whole.

𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Leo represents wounds around self-expression, creativity, and the need to be seen and appreciated for who you truly are. Individuals with this placement may feel inadequate or unworthy of recognition and validation, often struggling with fears of rejection, criticism, or failure when expressing creativity or stepping into leadership roles. These wounds can manifest as insecurity about personal talents, a fear of being overlooked, or hesitance to take the spotlight. Healing involves embracing your inner light and expressing yourself authentically, without relying on external validation. It’s essential to build self-confidence in your creative abilities, talents, and leadership potential. Taking risks in self-expression, creativity, and personal leadership without fearing rejection is key. Recognizing your inherent worth and cultivating joy in your unique contributions will help heal wounds of feeling unseen or unworthy.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your identity and how others perceive your self-expression, leading to a fear of standing out. Healing: Embrace your individuality and confidently take charge of your life. Healing comes from shining without needing others’ approval.

2nd House:Wound: You may struggle with self-worth, feeling as though your talents or creative abilities are undervalued or unrecognized. Healing: Develop a sense of inner worth that doesn’t depend on external praise. Healing comes from appreciating the intrinsic value of your creative talents and personal resources.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing your ideas or creativity in everyday conversations and interactions. Healing: Trust in your voice and communicate your thoughts with confidence. Healing comes from recognizing that your ideas are valuable and deserve to be shared.

4th House:Wound: Emotional insecurity in the home or family may have left you feeling overlooked or unappreciated as a child. Healing: Create a nurturing environment where your personal expression is valued. Healing comes from embracing your creativity within your family and home life.

5th House:Wound: You may struggle to express your creativity, talents, or passions, fearing rejection or failure in artistic or romantic endeavors. Healing: Take creative and emotional risks without worrying about judgment. Healing comes from finding joy in self-expression and pursuing your passions with confidence.

6th House:Wound: You may feel unappreciated in your work or daily routines, especially when it comes to your creative contributions. Healing: Integrate creativity into your everyday life and work. Healing comes from recognizing and valuing your unique talents and contributions in your daily routine and workplace.

7th House:Wound: You may feel unrecognized or overshadowed in relationships, fearing that your individuality gets lost in partnerships. Healing: Assert your creative self in relationships and allow your individuality to shine. Healing comes from balancing personal expression with meaningful connections.

8th House:Wound: You may fear vulnerability in intimate relationships, especially when it comes to expressing your deepest creative desires or talents. Healing: Embrace vulnerability in emotional and creative connections. Healing comes from trusting in your creativity’s transformative power for both yourself and others.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing your beliefs, worldview, or creative philosophies, fearing judgment or dismissal. Healing: Stand confidently in your personal beliefs and express your creative visions without fear. Healing comes from embracing and sharing your unique perspective with others.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing yourself in your career or public life, fearing that your creative talents will not be acknowledged. Healing: Boldly express your creative self in your professional life and public roles. Success comes from owning your leadership and talents in your career.

11th House:Wound: You may feel like you don’t belong or that your creative contributions are undervalued within group settings or communities. Healing: Embrace your unique contributions in social and collective settings. Healing comes from finding a place where your creativity is appreciated and valued.

12th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from your creativity or have unconscious fears of being unrecognized, leading you to hide your talents. Healing: Embrace your creative power, allowing it to flow through private or spiritual practices. Healing comes from trusting that your talents are valuable, even if not always visible to others.

𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Virgo is associated with wounds surrounding perfectionism, service, and health. Those with this placement often feel a deep sense of inadequacy, coupled with the pressure to meet impossibly high standards. There’s frequently a fear of not being good enough or failing in their duties—whether in work, health, or service to others. These wounds manifest as self-criticism, fear of mistakes, and a belief that they need to "fix" themselves or others to be worthy. Healing comes from accepting your imperfections and recognizing that your worth isn’t defined by your ability to serve or be perfect. Developing self-compassion and embracing the idea of “good enough” are key. It’s important to release the need to control or fix everything and to find balance between work, self-care, and emotional well-being. Accepting that healing involves both yourself and others is essential.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your self-image or how you present yourself, often obsessing over perceived flaws. Healing: Heal by accepting yourself fully, flaws included. Self-compassion and embracing your worth beyond appearances will quiet your inner critic.

2nd House:Wound: You may struggle with self-worth, tying your value to how useful or productive you are, often feeling you're not "enough." Healing: Build self-worth that isn’t tied to achievements or material success. Healing comes from recognizing your inherent value beyond what you produce.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel inadequate in communication, fearing that your thoughts aren’t good enough or that you’re not smart enough. Healing: Trust in your intellect and embrace the learning process. Healing comes from letting go of the need to be perfect in communication and focusing on expressing yourself authentically.

4th House:Wound: You may have felt unappreciated or inadequate within your family or home, often believing your efforts were unnoticed. Healing: Focus on creating a home environment that doesn’t demand perfection. Healing comes from accepting and being at peace with the imperfections of family life and emotional connections.

5th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your creativity or find it hard to enjoy life’s pleasures, fearing you're not good enough creatively or romantically. Healing: Embrace your creative and playful side without the need for perfection. Healing comes from allowing yourself to express and enjoy without judgment or the pressure to be flawless.

6th House:Wound: You may feel inadequate in your work or health routines, constantly feeling like you’re not doing enough. Healing: Healing comes from embracing balance in your work and health. Learn that your best is enough, and overworking or overthinking won’t bring you the peace you seek.

7th House:Wound: You may feel inadequate in relationships, constantly worrying about not being the perfect partner or feeling like you have to fix your partner. Healing: Accept imperfection in both yourself and your partner. Healing comes from appreciating relationships for what they are, without trying to perfect or control them.

8th House:Wound: You may fear vulnerability in intimacy, worrying that you are flawed in deep emotional or sexual connections. Healing: Embrace vulnerability and trust that true intimacy involves imperfection. Healing comes from accepting your deeper self as enough without the need to hide or fix anything.

9th House:Wound: You may feel inadequate in your beliefs or philosophical views, constantly doubting if your ideas are good enough. Healing: Embrace curiosity and lifelong learning without needing all the answers. Healing comes from letting go of the need for perfection in your pursuit of knowledge.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your career, fearing that your efforts are never enough or that you’ll fail in the eyes of society. Healing: Accept your career path as a journey, not a reflection of your worth. Healing comes from doing your best without striving for unattainable perfection and trusting in your abilities.

11th House:Wound: You may feel out of place in social or group settings, believing you don’t fit in or that your contributions aren’t valuable. Healing: Embrace your unique contributions to groups and trust that your imperfections are what make you valuable. Healing comes from finding comfort in your own authenticity within a community.

12th House:Wound: You may feel inadequate in your spiritual life, fearing that you’ll never reach the “perfect” state of enlightenment or spiritual fulfillment. Healing: Embrace your spiritual journey as an evolving process, not a race to perfection. Healing comes from trusting that your spiritual path, with all its imperfections, is part of a greater whole.

𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Libra brings wounds around relationships, balance, and fairness. People with this placement may struggle with feelings of inadequacy in partnerships, fearing rejection or conflict. There is often a deep wound tied to the need for harmony, where individuals feel responsible for maintaining peace but have difficulty asserting their own needs. This can lead to challenges in balancing self-care with care for others, as well as a fear of abandonment or being unloved if they don't keep the peace. Healing requires establishing healthy boundaries and learning to assert yourself in relationships without the fear of rejection or conflict. It's essential to recognize that maintaining harmony doesn’t mean sacrificing your own needs. Cultivating self-love and understanding that you deserve fairness and balance in relationships is key to healing codependency, insecurity, and the fear of conflict.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about how you are perceived in relationships, often feeling like you need to change yourself to be loved or accepted. Healing: Embrace your individuality and learn to assert your needs without fear. Healing comes from balancing your own desires with the needs of others, without losing yourself.

2nd House:Wound: You may struggle with self-worth, feeling that your value in relationships depends on how much others appreciate you. Healing: Build a sense of self-worth that doesn’t rely on external approval. Healing comes from recognizing your intrinsic value and knowing you don’t need others to validate it.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about sharing your thoughts or opinions in relationships, fearing disagreement or conflict. Healing: Learn to communicate your ideas confidently, even if it leads to disagreement. Healing comes from trusting that your voice matters and contributes to healthy relationships.

4th House:Wound: The wound may arise from instability or imbalance in your family life, where relationships may have lacked harmony or emotional security. Healing: Focus on creating emotional security within your home. Healing comes from finding balance in family dynamics and asserting your emotional needs without fear.

5th House:Wound: You may struggle with expressing your creativity or romance, often fearing rejection or imbalance in your love life. Healing: Embrace your creative self-expression and love without striving for perfection. Healing comes from trusting that passion and balance can coexist in romantic relationships.

6th House:Wound: The wound may manifest in your work relationships or daily routines, where you feel pressured to keep the peace at the expense of your own well-being. Healing: Set healthy boundaries in your work life and daily routines. Healing comes from recognizing that you don’t have to overextend yourself to be valued.

7th House:Wound: You may fear abandonment or conflict in close partnerships, often suppressing your own needs to maintain harmony. Healing: Learn to assert your needs in relationships without fearing the loss of connection. Healing comes from creating partnerships that respect both your needs and the other person’s.

8th House:Wound: You may fear emotional or financial vulnerability, feeling the need to control situations to avoid conflict or loss in relationships. Healing: Embrace vulnerability and learn to share emotional and material resources in a balanced way. Healing comes from trusting that mutual respect can foster deep emotional bonds.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing your beliefs or ideals in relationships, fearing judgment or rejection. Healing: Stand firm in your beliefs while being open to others’ perspectives. Healing comes from recognizing that differing viewpoints can exist harmoniously within relationships.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about asserting yourself in your public life or career, fearing that doing so could disrupt professional relationships. Healing: Learn to assert your needs and ambitions in your career without fearing conflict. Healing comes from trusting that you can achieve success without sacrificing harmony in professional relationships.

11th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected or unappreciated in social groups or communities, often feeling pressure to conform to be accepted. Healing: Embrace your unique contributions within group settings. Healing comes from trusting that you can maintain your individuality while being a valued part of a balanced community.

12th House:Wound: You may feel isolated or disconnected in relationships, often struggling with unconscious fears of abandonment or a lack of balance in spiritual connections. Healing: Develop a deep connection with yourself and your spiritual side. Healing comes from trusting the natural flow of relationships and allowing emotional and spiritual connections to form without fear of loss.

𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Scorpio signifies deep emotional wounds connected to power, control, intimacy, and transformation. Those with this placement often experience fears surrounding vulnerability, trust, and the potential for betrayal or abandonment. There can be an overwhelming desire to maintain control in relationships or life situations, leading to difficulty in allowing emotional intimacy or surrendering to change. These wounds may manifest as challenges in trusting others, resistance to transformation, and an intense fear of losing emotional or material power. Healing begins by embracing vulnerability and recognizing that true power stems from within, not from controlling external situations or people. Trusting in the process of transformation and letting go of the need for constant control is essential. Healing also involves forming deep emotional connections without fearing betrayal or loss, and understanding that emotional intimacy is a strength rather than a weakness.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your personal power or worry about how others perceive your intensity, fearing rejection if you reveal your true self. Healing: Embrace your emotional depth and intensity as assets. Healing comes from trusting that you can be vulnerable and authentic without losing control or being rejected.

2nd House:Wound: Insecurity around material resources or fear of losing control over personal security may dominate, causing anxiety about stability. Healing: Develop inner security that isn’t dependent on external resources. Healing comes from trusting your ability to rebuild and regenerate, even after loss or financial setbacks.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel uncomfortable expressing your deeper emotions or thoughts, fearing that others will misunderstand or judge you. Healing: Learn to communicate your emotional truths confidently. Healing comes from trusting in the power of your words and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in your communication with others.

4th House:Wound: Deep emotional pain or issues of control may have been present in your family or home life, leading to feelings of betrayal or insecurity. Healing: Create a safe emotional space within your home and family. Healing comes from letting go of the need to control family dynamics and trusting in the power of emotional vulnerability.

5th House:Wound: You may struggle with expressing your creative passions or fears of rejection in romance, hesitating to open up or be vulnerable. Healing: Allow yourself to take risks in both creativity and love. Healing comes from embracing your passions without fear of betrayal, knowing that your self-expression is powerful and transformative.

6th House:Wound: Feelings of inadequacy may arise in your work or health, with fears of losing control over your body or daily routines. Healing: Trust in your body’s natural ability to heal and regenerate. Healing comes from finding balance in your routines and letting go of perfectionism or the need to control every detail in your work.

7th House:Wound: You may fear emotional vulnerability in close partnerships, feeling a need to maintain control to prevent betrayal or abandonment. Healing: Healing comes from trusting the emotional depth of your partnerships. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, understanding that true intimacy requires letting go of control.

8th House:Wound: Fear of losing control in matters of intimacy, shared resources, or personal transformation can lead to issues with trust and power dynamics. Healing: Embrace vulnerability and trust in the power of shared emotional and material resources. Healing comes from allowing deep emotional connections without fearing betrayal or loss.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about exploring deeper philosophical or spiritual truths, fearing judgment or losing control over your belief systems. Healing: Trust in the transformative power of your spiritual and philosophical journey. Healing comes from embracing change and allowing your beliefs to evolve as you grow.

10th House:Wound: Fear of losing control or being betrayed in your career or public life may lead to challenges with trust and power dynamics in professional settings. Healing: Learn to trust in your resilience and ability to rise, even after career setbacks. Healing comes from embracing vulnerability in your professional life and using it to fuel growth.

11th House:Wound: You may feel powerless or betrayed in group settings, social circles, or communities, leading to fears of rejection or manipulation. Healing: Embrace your role and power in group dynamics. Healing comes from trusting that you can contribute meaningfully to the collective and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in friendships and social connections.

12th House:Wound: Fears of losing control to unconscious emotions, spiritual crises, or the unknown may leave you feeling powerless or overwhelmed. Healing: Embrace the transformative power of the subconscious and trust in the spiritual journey. Healing comes from surrendering control and allowing the natural flow of emotional and spiritual growth to guide you.

𝐒𝐚��𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Sagittarius represents wounds tied to beliefs, freedom, and the search for truth. Individuals with this placement may struggle with feelings of inadequacy in their understanding of life’s purpose, personal freedom, and their own philosophical or spiritual beliefs. They may fear not having the "right" answers or feel limited in their ability to live authentically. These wounds can manifest as insecurity about one’s worldview, fear of being judged for one’s beliefs, or difficulty in feeling free to explore new ideas and experiences. Healing comes from embracing your personal truth and realizing that there is no singular path to wisdom or freedom. Trusting your own spiritual or philosophical journey, rather than seeking external validation, is essential. You heal by accepting that life’s meaning is subjective, embracing diverse perspectives, and allowing yourself the freedom to explore without fear of judgment or failure.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your identity, especially when expressing your beliefs or personal truth, fearing that others will judge or reject you. Healing: Embrace your unique perspective and trust in your personal truth. Healing comes from confidently expressing your authentic self without seeking external validation.

2nd House:Wound: Insecurity may revolve around personal values or the fear of not being "enough" in terms of what you believe or possess. Healing: Develop a sense of inner worth that isn’t tied to material success or societal approval. Healing comes from trusting your personal values and believing in your inner abundance.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about communicating your beliefs or ideas, fearing they are not valid or worthy of being heard. Healing: Trust in your intellect and share your ideas openly. Healing comes from learning to communicate your beliefs with confidence and embracing the value of your thoughts.

4th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from your family’s belief systems or struggle to find your place within your home’s philosophical or cultural framework. Healing: Create your own sense of spiritual or philosophical belonging. Healing comes from building a home environment that reflects your truth and supports emotional security.

5th House:Wound: You may fear expressing your beliefs or philosophies through creative endeavors, worrying about being judged for your passions. Healing: Allow yourself to express your beliefs through creativity without fear of rejection. Healing comes from embracing the joy of exploring your passions and trusting that your unique perspective can inspire others.

6th House:Wound: You may feel restricted in your work or daily routines, believing they limit your ability to explore new ideas or personal freedom. Healing: Integrate your need for freedom into your daily life and work. Healing comes from balancing routine with exploration and finding growth and learning opportunities in everyday tasks.

7th House:Wound: In relationships, you may feel insecure about your beliefs or philosophical outlook, fearing they will not be accepted by your partner. Healing: Embrace your personal truth in relationships. Healing comes from trusting that you can find partners who honor your beliefs while respecting theirs, allowing room for mutual growth.

8th House:Wound: You may fear sharing your deeper spiritual or philosophical beliefs in intimate relationships, worrying about betrayal or judgment. Healing: Healing comes from trusting in the transformative power of shared beliefs. Embrace vulnerability in your intimate connections, allowing for deep emotional and spiritual bonding.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your philosophical, spiritual, or religious beliefs, worrying that your worldview is flawed or that you don’t have the "right" answers. Healing: Embrace the diversity of belief systems and trust your spiritual journey. Healing comes from allowing yourself the freedom to explore new philosophies and accepting that wisdom is an evolving process.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing your beliefs or philosophy in your career or public life, fearing that others will judge your values. Healing: Boldly embrace your beliefs in your professional life. Healing comes from trusting that your worldview can guide your career and shape your public success.

11th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from social groups or communities because of differences in beliefs or a sense of not fitting in. Healing: Find or create communities that resonate with your philosophical or spiritual ideals. Healing comes from trusting that your unique perspective can contribute meaningfully to the collective.

12th House:Wound: You may experience existential crises or feel disconnected from your spiritual path, fearing that you will never find true meaning or wisdom. Healing: Embrace the mysteries of life and trust your spiritual journey, even when it’s unclear. Healing comes from allowing yourself to explore the unknown with faith in the process.

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Capricorn represents wounds related to authority, responsibility, success, and structure. Individuals with this placement may struggle with feelings of inadequacy in their ability to meet responsibilities or achieve goals. There may be a fear of failure, judgment from society, or not being able to live up to high standards. These wounds can manifest as an overwhelming pressure to succeed, insecurity in leadership roles, or difficulty balancing personal ambitions with emotional needs. Healing comes from redefining success on your own terms and releasing the need for external validation. Learning to balance personal and professional life, and understanding that your worth isn’t tied to achievements or societal approval, is crucial. Developing a sense of inner authority and trusting your ability to take responsibility without self-criticism will help heal wounds related to control, status, and success.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about how others perceive your competence or authority, often fearing that you won’t be respected. Healing: Embrace your unique leadership style and trust that you don’t need to be perfect to command respect. Healing comes from knowing that your presence is enough to be seen as an authority.

2nd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about material security or fear that you aren’t seen as stable or successful enough by others. Healing: Build inner security by trusting in your ability to create abundance without needing to prove your worth through material achievements. Healing comes from valuing yourself beyond external measures of success.

3rd House:Wound: You may struggle with feeling inadequate in communicating your ideas or feel judged for how you express yourself in intellectual or social situations. Healing: Trust in your voice and wisdom, knowing that success doesn’t require perfection. Healing comes from embracing communication without fear of judgment and recognizing your ideas as valuable.

4th House:Wound: Feelings of inadequacy in your home life or family dynamics may lead to a fear of emotional or material instability. Healing: Focus on creating emotional and material stability for yourself. Healing comes from trusting that you can build a nurturing home environment without the need for perfection or control.

5th House:Wound: You may fear that your creative talents or passions won’t lead to recognition or success, causing you to hold back. Healing: Allow yourself to express your creativity without needing external validation. Healing comes from recognizing that your passions and creativity are valuable, even if they don’t conform to traditional ideas of success.

6th House:Wound: You may feel overwhelmed by responsibilities in your work or daily routines, fearing that you’re not managing them well enough. Healing: Healing comes from finding balance between work and self-care. Trust that you can handle your responsibilities without overburdening yourself, and recognize that success includes taking care of your well-being.

7th House:Wound: Insecurity in relationships may lead you to fear failure in partnerships or feel that you can’t maintain balanced, successful relationships. Healing: Heal by accepting that relationships don’t need to be perfect to succeed. Trust that balance in partnerships comes from emotional harmony and understanding, not control.

8th House:Wound: You may fear losing control in intimate relationships or shared resources, leading to insecurity in trusting others deeply. Healing: Embrace the power of vulnerability in relationships. Healing comes from trusting that you can navigate shared emotional and material responsibilities without fear of betrayal or loss of control.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your beliefs or spiritual journey, fearing that you’re not on the “right” path to success or enlightenment. Healing: Trust in your unique spiritual or philosophical journey. Healing comes from embracing your personal path, even if it doesn’t align with societal or traditional expectations.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your career or public image, fearing that you’ll never achieve the success or respect you desire. Healing: Define success on your own terms and trust in the value of your efforts. Healing comes from allowing yourself to take on leadership roles without fear of failure or judgment.

11th House:Wound: You may feel like an outsider in social or group settings, fearing that you won’t find success or acceptance in communities or networks. Healing: Trust in your ability to contribute to social groups. Healing comes from finding communities that appreciate your unique talents and collaborating without striving for perfection.

12th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from your spiritual or inner life, fearing that you’ll never find peace or success in these realms. Healing: Surrender to the natural flow of life and trust in your spiritual journey. Healing comes from letting go of control and embracing the process of spiritual and emotional growth.

𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Aquarius represents wounds around individuality, community, and belonging. People with this placement often struggle with feeling different or out of place within groups, social circles, or society as a whole. There is a deep fear of rejection or alienation, rooted in feeling misunderstood or not fitting in. These wounds can lead to insecurity about expressing one’s uniqueness or ideas, feeling disconnected from social groups, or fearing judgment for having unconventional beliefs or behaviors. Healing comes from embracing your individuality and recognizing that your uniqueness is a source of strength. Trust that you can contribute meaningfully to communities and social groups without needing to conform. By valuing your vision and understanding that being different is not a flaw but a gift, you begin to heal. Finding or creating spaces where your ideas and values are appreciated, and where you can connect with like-minded people, is also essential.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about how you present yourself to the world, fearing that your individuality will lead to rejection or alienation. Healing: Embrace your uniqueness and trust that it is a gift. Healing comes from confidently showing the world your true self without seeking approval from others.

2nd House:Wound: You may struggle with feelings of inadequacy related to self-worth, particularly around your unconventional values or unique way of thinking. Healing: Develop a sense of self-worth that isn’t tied to societal expectations or material success. Healing comes from trusting in the value of your perspective and ideas.

3rd House:Wound: You may feel insecure about expressing unconventional ideas or fear that your thoughts will be misunderstood or dismissed. Healing: Embrace your unique intellect and communicate your ideas freely. Healing comes from trusting that your thoughts can inspire others and are valuable.

4th House:Wound: Feelings of being different or disconnected from your family or home environment may have left you feeling like you didn’t belong. Healing: Create your own sense of belonging and build a home that reflects your individuality. Healing comes from forming an emotional foundation where you feel supported and accepted.

5th House:Wound: You may struggle with expressing your creative or romantic side, fearing rejection for your unconventional approach to love or self-expression. Healing: Allow yourself to express creativity and passion without fear of judgment. Healing comes from trusting that your unique expressions of love and creativity are valuable and worthy of acceptance.

6th House:Wound: You may feel out of place in work or daily routines, struggling to fit into conventional environments or feeling that your individuality is not appreciated. Healing: Create work environments and routines that honor your individuality. Healing comes from recognizing that your unconventional approach can bring innovation and value to any work setting.

7th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your ability to maintain balanced relationships, fearing that your individuality may be too much for others. Healing: Embrace your uniqueness in relationships and trust that you can find partners who honor and appreciate your individuality. Healing comes from building relationships where both partners’ uniqueness is celebrated.

8th House:Wound: You may fear vulnerability or intimacy, especially when it comes to sharing your unconventional ideas or emotions. Healing: Embrace the power of vulnerability in emotional and intellectual connections. Healing comes from trusting that meaningful relationships can be built on sharing your true self, even when it feels unconventional.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your beliefs or ideals, particularly if they are unconventional or differ from mainstream views. Healing: Embrace your unique philosophical or spiritual journey. Healing comes from trusting that your beliefs, no matter how unconventional, are valid and can lead to personal growth.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your career or public image, fearing that your unconventional approach will not be accepted or respected by society. Healing: Embrace your originality in your professional life. Healing comes from trusting that your unique vision can lead to success and contribute something new and valuable to the world.

11th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from social groups or communities, fearing that you don’t fit in or aren’t appreciated for your individuality. Healing: Find or create communities that appreciate your uniqueness. Healing comes from trusting that you can form meaningful connections with those who share your values and vision.

12th House:Wound: You may feel isolated or disconnected from the collective unconscious or spiritual realm, fearing that your unique spiritual insights are not valid or accepted. Healing: Trust in your intuitive and spiritual journey. Healing comes from exploring life’s mysteries with confidence, knowing that your unique insights can bring valuable wisdom to others.

𝐏𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chiron in Pisces reflects deep wounds related to spirituality, compassion, and the connection to the collective unconscious. Individuals with this placement may feel a profound sense of spiritual or emotional disconnection, yearning for unity but struggling with feelings of isolation, confusion, or helplessness. They may also experience wounds surrounding sensitivity, compassion, and the ability to trust in the flow of life. These wounds often manifest as difficulty setting boundaries, fear of being overwhelmed by emotions, or feeling that they must always sacrifice themselves for others. Healing for Chiron in Pisces comes through embracing your spiritual path, learning to trust in the unseen, and developing healthy boundaries. Recognizing that your sensitivity and compassion are powerful strengths, not weaknesses, is vital. You must learn to accept that you don’t need to carry the burdens of the world. Healing involves surrendering to the flow of life while also prioritizing your emotional and spiritual needs, allowing for balance between self-care and compassion for others.

Through the Houses

1st House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your identity, overwhelmed by your sensitivity, and unsure of how to assert yourself in a world that feels overwhelming. Healing: Embrace your sensitivity as a unique gift and ground yourself in your spiritual identity. Healing comes from trusting your intuition and allowing your inner wisdom to guide you.

2nd House:Wound: You may feel that your worth is tied to your ability to sacrifice or serve others, often questioning your value. Healing: Develop a sense of inner worth that is not reliant on external validation or self-sacrifice. Healing comes from trusting in your inherent value and allowing yourself to receive as well as give.

3rd House:Wound: You may struggle to express your thoughts or spiritual insights, feeling misunderstood or unable to communicate your deeper emotions. Healing: Trust in your voice and allow yourself to share your compassionate and intuitive thoughts. Healing comes from learning to communicate your spiritual truth with clarity and confidence.

4th House:Wound: You may feel emotionally disconnected or unstable within your home or family life, often sacrificing your own needs for the sake of others. Healing: Create a foundation that nurtures your emotional and spiritual needs. Healing comes from finding inner peace and emotional security within yourself rather than relying on external sources.

5th House:Wound: You may feel overwhelmed by fear of rejection or inadequacy when it comes to expressing your creativity or romantic feelings. Healing: Allow yourself to express creativity and love without fear of judgment. Healing comes from trusting that your artistic and romantic expressions are valid and deserving of appreciation.

6th House:Wound: You may feel burdened by daily responsibilities or work, often sacrificing your well-being for the sake of others. Healing: Create balanced routines that nurture your emotional and spiritual renewal. Healing comes from learning to care for yourself while maintaining compassion and service for others, without overextending yourself.

7th House:Wound: You may feel insecure in relationships, often sacrificing your needs or boundaries to maintain peace and connection. Healing: Develop healthy boundaries in relationships and trust in your ability to maintain deep connections without losing yourself. Healing comes from allowing vulnerability without feeling the need for self-sacrifice.

8th House:Wound: You may fear deep emotional or spiritual vulnerability, worrying about betrayal, loss, or transformation. Healing: Embrace the transformative power of emotional and spiritual intimacy. Healing comes from trusting in the process of emotional depth and transformation, allowing vulnerability without fear of dissolution.

9th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your spiritual or philosophical beliefs, fearing that your worldview is too unconventional or emotionally charged. Healing: Embrace your unique spiritual path and trust in your inner wisdom. Healing comes from allowing yourself the freedom to explore your beliefs without fear of being misunderstood.

10th House:Wound: You may feel insecure about your ability to succeed in your career, fearing that your spiritual or compassionate nature won’t be valued in professional settings. Healing: Trust in the value of your compassionate and intuitive gifts. Healing comes from integrating your spiritual self into your career and recognizing that sensitivity can lead to meaningful success.

11th House:Wound: You may feel disconnected from social groups or communities, fearing that your emotional sensitivity makes you too different to fit in. Healing: Find or create communities that honor your spiritual and emotional sensitivity. Healing comes from forming meaningful connections with like-minded individuals who appreciate your compassionate ideals.

12th House:Wound: You may feel overwhelmed by unconscious fears, spiritual disconnection, or existential confusion, struggling with feelings of isolation. Healing: Healing comes from surrendering to the flow of life and trusting in a deeper spiritual connection. Embrace spiritual practices that bring you peace and help you connect to the collective unconscious.

Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

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femmefatalevibe · 2 years ago

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25 Life Lessons I've Learned In 25 Years

In honor of turning 25 this month, here are some lessons I wish someone could've baked into my brain by 18. Hope this helps xx

Putting yourself first is not selfish, it is an act of self-care. Actively discounting others is not the same as protecting your peace.

Pay attention to who gossips and keeps to themselves amidst an interpersonal conflict. Insecure people or those in the wrong will speak the loudest and go on the longest in a fight to prove their innocence. Individuals who are self-assured and comfortable with the truth know it's better to communicate their feelings appropriately and then move past it. Confidence is assertive, tactful, and relatively silent.

If you want to know who to believe in an argument, pay attention to how both sides speak about the conflict. The perpetrator will often speak about the individuals' character/morality while the victim will explain their personal experience in the context of the relevant situation.

Display empathy and consideration, but don't live to satisfy others' emotional needs and expectations. Say farewell to anyone who dismisses or guilts you for your own needs, emotions, priorities/life goals & aspirations.

Your needs matter. No one needs to approve or validate your desires. If someone feels they have control over you or tries to persuade you to change your mind to ensure you put their emotions and needs first, cut them out of your life. They do not care about you.

Almost no one deserves insider access into your life and mind. Upholding your right to privacy – especially regarding your finances, dating life, health conditions/concerns, and long-term goals – is the simplest way to protect your peace.

A friend to all is a friend to none. Be wary of those who will not stand up for you behind closed doors. These people do not care about you, they care about what your place in their life does for them and their ego.

Be radically honest and accepting of who you are. Don't apologize for your preferences, aspirations, and values. You deserve to live in a way that makes you happy, not to appease others in hopes of their approval or future favors due to your karmic good deeds.

You deserve happiness, love, and nice things, life experiences, relationships, and opportunities in your life regardless of what others may or may not possess/ be able to experience. Dispel this scarcity mindset ASAP. Jealousy and internalized shame are destructive to your self-esteem and all your relationships.

You are worthy and offer many incredible, unique gifts to the world. Don't allow naysayers, critics, or bullies (of any age) to dim your light or sacrifice pursuing your dreams. Decide you're the leader of your own life. Then act accordingly.

Direct communication is always the way. Remain tactful, but at least when dealing with non-manipulative people, always say what you mean and mean what you say. It will save a lot of trouble and petty disagreements that could've been avoided with clearer communication.

You don't owe anyone an explanation for your feelings, emotions, and actions that don't have a direct, inescapable impact on someone else. "No" is a complete sentence.

Approach conversations as a meeting of the minds. Healthy debate or conflict is about seeking to understand the other person, not prove yourself right. Leaving your ego at the door will allow you to expand your mind and avoid many unnecessary conflicts or arguments.

If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. For a job, date, sex, attendance at a time-sucking social event, family gatherings, an informal meeting not essential for you to keep your job, a wedding, birthday party, holiday invitation, etc. Outside of your contracted hours and time necessary to keep yourself/your home clean & well-maintained, you should spend your time exactly as you please. Doing things you don't want to do will only breed resentment down the line toward yourself and others.

Detangle yourself from any who refuses to self-reflect and take accountability. This person is selfish and will never see you as fully human with emotions, needs, and a complete life/internal world of your own. Cut them out (or at least fully emotionally detach and limit contact with them) immediately.

Speak your truth, but always say a little less than you feel necessary. Overexplaning and oversharing do you no favors. At a minimum, this approach allows you to protect your peace. In the worst circumstances, this tactic can also save you from a lot of trouble in your personal or professional life.

Learn to ask for a little more than you're comfortable with, but do so with grace, tact, and confidence. Whether it's a salary/rate negotiation, flight/hotel/restaurant accommodations, get in the habit of making that slightly higher/up-leveled request like you're expecting a "yes." You can't get something you don't ask for, so speak up and show you know your worth. This habit can bring a lot of great opportunity into your life and builds up your confidence.

Everyone is on their own timeline and path. Don't compare yourself to others' credentials, job titles, relationship status, net worths, or jean sizes. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. Remaining envious of others only takes up the energy that could otherwise be used to elevate or enrich your life.

Become clear on your priorities, and remain diligent with your habits & routines. Set SMART goals. Implement healthy habits and rituals into your daily lifestyle. Be consistent with goal-supporting and wellness rituals (generous sleep schedule, healthful eating habits, daily movement/regular exercise, reading, task time-blocking, cleaning, and life/work admin schedule), so they become second nature. Help yourself by creating these default habits to ensure your brain is wired for success whether you're in an easygoing era or a stressful life season.

Stop seeing other people (especially other women) as your competition in your profession/dating life and within your platonic relationships. Use your immediate criticisms as a tool for self-reflection. Actively deconstruct the patriarchy in every aspect of your life. Other women coworkers, dating prospects, and friends are not your rivals nor individuals who should be evaluated based on their assertiveness, sexual history/appeal, relationship status, or desire to perform traditional maternal/domestic roles.

Understanding how to interact with others in a cordial, tactful manner is significantly more important than having everyone like you. Learn how to positively influence people without seeking approval. What other people think of us is none of our business. All we can do is show up as the best version of ourselves, and remain optimistic about a potential connection.

Acceptance, accountability, and consistent discipline are the holy trinity to creating a sustainable change that you can maintain for the long haul. There's no shame in starting from the bottom, but you need to be honest about where you're at, so you can create a realistic game plan/small behavior-changing habits that stack up over time to help you implement the radical change you're craving.

Let go of any internalized shame. Being the "good girl" does you no favors in life. Set a standard and expectation to be respected, not to be perceived as "innocent" or submissive – this is how you get taken advantage of in professional, platonic, and intimate relationships. Remain ravenous for respect. It's the only way to live life to the fullest.

24. Investing in your appearance is a form of self-respect. Wanting to look & feel your best and present yourself in the best light possible to others is not a superficial pursuit. Remain unwavering about your hygiene/beauty/grooming routines, deliberate styling choices, healthy eating & workout habits, and mindfulness of social graces. You're your #1 publicist, so act like it. Life is all about embracing satisfaction with a sprinkle of reputation management.

25. Be unapologetic about your financial ambitions, priorities, investments, savings goals, etc. Financial freedom IS freedom. The only way to change the system is to break it from the inside out. Leverage is everything. Allocate, and assert your (financial) power wisely.

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nymphaura777 · 2 months ago

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Welcome to the Land of Manifestation Burnout

Alright, sit down, babe, we need to talk. You’re out here manifesting like your life depends on it—and honestly, at this point, I think you might be possessed.

Affirmations? Check.

Scripting? Girl, you’re on your fourth notebook.

Visualizing? Your Pinterest board is basically a digital vision board shrine.

Subliminals? You got six different audio layers playing at once like you’re a damn radio frequency scientist.

And yet… NOTHING. Nada. Zero. Your desires are ghosting you harder than your toxic ex (yes, I went there).

So let me ask you something: are you actually manifesting, or are you in a clingy, desperate, toxic situationship with your desires?

Because, sweetheart, your energy is SCREAMING lack.

You’re refreshing your phone for signs like you’re waiting for a text back. You’re side-eyeing every angel number like it owes you an explanation. You’re whispering affirmations at 3 AM like a feral raccoon with WiFi access.

And you STILL don’t get why it’s not working? Babe, be so fr.

The Harsh Truth: You’re Doing Too Much.

The universe is not a sugar daddy. You can’t just send it a million requests and expect instant delivery.

The more you chase, the further it runs. The more you obsess, the less it flows. The more you stress, the more you literally block your own blessings.

Imagine trying to fill a cup while holding it upside down. That’s YOU right now. Desperation energy is repelling your desires faster than bad perfume on a first date.

“But I’m doing everything right!”

Are you, though? Because alignment means ease. Flow. Effortlessness. And right now, bestie, you’re gripping your manifestations so tight, they can’t even breathe.

But don't worry Celeste has solutions too:

STOP OBSESSING: Your manifestations aren’t running away; YOU’RE scaring them off with your clingy energy. You’re acting like a girl who triple-texts a man who left her on read don’t do that.

DETACH: I know it’s hard, but stop refreshing reality like it’s your IG feed. Stop “checking” if it’s working. Trust me, it IS, but you’re too busy being a control freak to let it unfold.

Act like you ALREADY HAVE IT. Rich people don’t panic about money. Confident people don’t freak out about validation. People in love don’t stalk their crush’s last seen status. If you had your desire, you’d be CHILL. So start acting like it.

Go touch some damn grass. Go outside. Laugh. Watch a dumb movie. Make a snack. Have fun. Your manifestations will come when you STOP acting like a detective trying to track them down.

The Universe Responds to VIBES, Not Effort.

You can chant affirmations until your throat is drier than the Sahara, but if your vibes are screaming, “WHERE IS IT? WHY ISN’T IT HERE YET?!!” …guess what?

It’s NEVER coming.

You’re overcomplicating the hell out of this. The second you stop chasing and just start being?

That’s when it actually comes.

Now, go live your life. Your manifestations are already on their way.

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rederiswrites · 11 months ago

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Okay so I'm giving @corseque 's super-important audio of all Solas' comments about the Blight a second (or fifteenth, whatever) listen and taking notes as I go.

Solas doesn't think for a second that once the archdemons are gone the Blight will be gone. Which really makes sense because it's the Blight that makes them an archdemon, not the other way around. Supposedly, they're blighted when the darkspawn reach and corrupt them. But of course that begs the question of why it's only darkspawn (and uh, honorary darkspawn like the Wardens) that hear their call. Anyway, the way he says it, it sounds more like the archdemons are a limiting factor than a driving factor.

Varric: "What's so confusing about endless darkspawn?" Solas: "A great deal!" So yeah, whatever the plan was, he didn't foresee darkspawn as a consequence. So did he not foresee them existing at all, or not foresee them being free to cause problems? Worth noting that it's really clear both in general and in Descent that dwarves as a whole were a huge blind spot for him.

He is really really surprised that the Western Approach ever recovered from the Blight. Pretty clear he didn't think that was possible.

He thinks that everything the Wardens have done up til now is a deeply misguided effort that's served (mostly accidentally) as a delaying tactic. Gotta say, with the information we have at hand, this point pairs about as well with the last as a nice dry red with spicy pickles. If the Wardens shouldn't have done what they've done, but he didn't think recovery from the Blight was possible, I'd love to hear what he thought the alternative was.

Same dialogue as above, but when Solas talks about stopping the Blight and when Blackwall and Varric talk about it, one gets the distinct impression that they're talking at cross purposes, because Varric and Blackwall are talking about the experience of Blights, as in, periodic events, whereas I think Solas is talking about THE Blight, that is, its true nature, which is yet untouched.

He thinks Erimond is dumb as shit, which is fair and valid. "That's madness! For all we know, killing the Old Gods could make things even worse!" he says. Well, he knows a lot more than "we" know, but it's entirely possible that he doesn't for sure know this. Increasingly clear that he thinks it, though.

I'd forgotten just how pissed off he was about the Grey Warden plan to kill the Old Gods before they were corrupted. It really doesn't give "hey you're killing my relatives" energy. It really gives "wow that would fuck us all" vibes.

Of course, with a side of my remembering that Solas' besetting flaw was always thinking people should know better even though they don't have access to the knowledge he has. That flaw I WILL grant. He displays it repeatedly--you could even say the writers went out of their way to make the point.

"The Blight is the real problem"

"The fools who first unleashed the Blight on this world thought they were unlocking ultimate power." Anyway yeah those are the absolute core of everything here. The Blight is the real problem and the Blight was deliberate. Deliberately made or deliberately freed.

Even during the events of Inquisition, Solas obviously sees Corypheus as secondary to the Blight as a danger.

Cassandra suggests that the archdemons were really just dragons--"Pets to those who no longer exist", by which she probably means the Old Gods, not specifically the gods of Elvhen, just because of her cultural background. Solas finds this suggestion amusingly wrong--a quiet snort, and "I would not go so far as that."

Last notes: he doesn't sound like he thinks the Blight can be stopped, and he's adamant that it can't be controlled. Which is presumably why he broke the world in an attempt to contain it, assuming I'm right that that was the underlying reason for the Veil. That it didn't quite work the way he'd hoped is also pretty evident, though I wanna be clear that I assume he was working from a place of desperation, and that not knowing every possible outcome of an action is not a condemnation of having taken it.

#dragon age #solas

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unboundprompts · 1 year ago

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Romantic Prompts

↳ a masterpost for writing prompts with romantic themes.

↳ (#) is from my collection of random prompts, (list) contains multiple prompts.

If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.

I also have a Patreon! Become a member to gain access to a Member's Only Community where you can chat and message other members and myself. Also gain access to my personal writing, which includes completed short stories, chapters from novels in progress, as well as completed scenes.

Unrequited Love, Reluctant Love, Falling Out of Love Prompts:

Unwanted Love (#3)

Not Good for Each Other (#7)

Not Meant to Be (#9)

Questioning the Validity of Romantic Feelings (list)

Character in Love with Someone Who They Think Hates Them (list)

Couple Fell Out of Love (list)

Controlling Childhood Friend in Love with their "Puppet" (list)

Denial of Romantic Feelings (list)

Fake Dating Tropes (list)

Someone Who's Perfect (#152)

Character that Pushes Away the People they Love (list)

Forbidden Romance Dialogue (list)

Unrequited Love Turns Requited (list)

Too Afraid to Lose You (#188)

Requited Love Prompts:

You Would Like That, Wouldn't You? (#31)

Three Good Things (#44)

Trying to Forget You (#45)

The Drawing (#48)

Love Me Today, Love Me Tomorrow (#78)

Anything You Want Me to Be (#78)

Comforting their Lover with Abandonment Issues (list)

Couple Didn't Realize They Were in Love Until Separation (list)

Height Difference Prompts (list)

Subtle Romantic Gestures (list)

I Thought I Could Fix You (#187)

Love Confession Prompts:

I Think I'm in Love with You (#51)

Responses to "I Want You" (list)

Responses to "Do You Love Me?" (list)

Responses to "Do You Like Me Too?" (list)

Responses to a Sudden Compliment (list)

Love Confession after an Argument (list)

Being Shocked After a Kiss (list)

Say it to My Face (#131)

Jealous Fight Turned Love Confession (list)

Enemies/Rivals to Lovers Prompts:

The Art Thief (#81)

Rivals to Lovers at a Martial Arts Academy (list)

Anxious Character x Careless Character (list)

First Kiss Prompts (list)

One Bed Trope: Morning After Dialogue (list)

Bonding Over Horror Movies and Mystery Books (list)

Blushing Like a Sinner in Chapel (#96)

Rivals Being Shipped Together (list)

Academic Rivals to Lovers (list)

Exes to Lovers Dialogue (list)

Exes to Lovers Morning After

Fantasy Tropes Prompts:

Princess x Their Guard (list)

Princess x Knight (list)

Royal Painter x Knight (list)

Prince x Prince (list)

Immortal x Reincarnated Lover (list)

Immortal x Mortal Lover Reborn (list)

Immortal x Time Traveler (list)

Hero x Civilian (list)

Sci-Fi OTP (list)

Witch x Fairy (list)

Ghost x Human (list)

Monster x Human (list)

Quiet Monster x Human (list)

Alien x Human (list)

Other Specific Tropes Prompts:

Shy/Easily Embarrassed Character Getting Flustered (list)

Country x City Prompts (list)

Amnesia/Childhood Friends (list)

Sunshine Character x Serious Character (list)

Opposite Couples (ex: Always and Never, War and Peace) (list)

Opposite Couples: Sea and Sky (list)

Sarcastic Aloof x Annoying Hothead (list)

Medic x Soldier (list)

Prisoner x Guard (list)

Book-Loving Couple (list)

Friends to Lovers Road Trip (list)

Cheerleader x Jock (list)

#writing prompts #dialogue prompt #creative writing #writeblr #otp prompts #prompt list #story prompt #romance prompts #romantic prompts #enemies to lovers prompts

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winisayswhat · 2 months ago

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kofi

Masterlist

Left to right

PILE 1

I don’t have all the answers right now, but I trust that clarity will come with time.

I may not be where I want to be yet, but every step forward still counts.

I am allowed to feel tired, but I will not let exhaustion define me.

Setbacks do not mean failure,they are just part of the process.

Even on my hardest days, I am still showing up, and that is enough.

Faith does not require me to see the entire path, only to take the next step.

It’s okay if things aren’t perfect. Progress is still progress.

I am resilient, even when I feel uncertain about the future.

I don’t need instant results to believe that my efforts will pay off.

As long as I keep going, I am never truly stuck.

Like, reblog and comment .

I offer paid readings.

kofi

Masterlist

════════════════════════════════════ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

Pile 2

It’s okay to feel lost sometimes. I won’t feel this way forever.

I don’t have to force things to happen. The right opportunity will find me.

Even if I don’t know what’s next, I know I’ll handle it when it comes.

I’ll look back one day and realize this time was necessary for something better.

I trust that life has a way of working out, even if I can’t see how yet.

I don’t have to figure everything out right now. It’s okay to take my time.

Just because I don’t see the path yet doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Things will fall into place when they’re meant to. I just need to keep going.

I trust that I’m exactly where I need to be, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.

Even if I feel lost, I’m still moving forward in ways I don’t yet realize.

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I offer paid readings.

kofi

Masterlist

Pile 3

I may be moving quietly, but my success is making noise where it matters.

Every small step I take is building something incredible, and I’m proud of myself.

I don’t need to rush,my journey is unfolding exactly as it should.

I am becoming the kind of person I once admired, and that’s beautiful.

Hard work, patience, and faith are my secret weapons.

I am unstoppable.

I am planting seeds of success, and soon, they will bloom into something amazing.

I trust my process.

I’m not just workingI’m building my future.

People may not always see my effort, but my results will speak for themselves.

I am proud of how far I’ve come, and I know even greater things are ahead.

I am silently becoming the best version of myself, and that’s powerful.

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kofi

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Pile 4

I walk alone, not out of necessity, but because solitude sharpens my vision.

My silence is not emptiness, it is intention, control, and understanding.

I do not seek validation,my path is carved by my own hands, not by approval.

I trust the weight of my instincts more than the noise of the world.

Strength is not found in numbers but in the unwavering certainty of one’s own presence.

I am unmoved by others opinions.

My truth does not need to be understood.

I do not chase recognition.

I embrace solitude, not as isolation, but as a sanctuary for my growth.

My energy is not easily accessed. It is earned, not given.

I walk forward with quiet resilience, knowing that the path meant for me will never require me to shrink.

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kofi

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atrologynuances · 11 months ago

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Astrology observations pt2 || Planets in their detriment

NOTE: the interpretation of these are solely on the planets. harmonious/inharmonious aspects can change the translation of these planets.

these are based on personal observations as well as acquired knowledge from books, websites, and other observation posts.

𓋼𓍊 Aries/Scorpio Venus- may struggle maintaining a harmonious relationship which can lead to them changing their relationships quite often. aries venuses might posses an either fiery or more grounded energy thanks to the cardinal energy. scorpios on the other hand might be emotionally reserved, and only truly love very few people around them if any, the rest they keep around depending on what they can access from them (very manipulative). Given their possible relationship insecurities these two venus signs will seek for someone going at the same pace and someone with the same mindset, which realistically is hard to find. when they do think they’ve found it, they might later find out they were in fact wrong. When they do get in a relationship they might become possessive as a result of possible insecurities.

𓋼𓍊 Taurus/Libra Mars- these natives might need extreme motivation to get things going, like a 9-5 they don’t like, but the security and responsibility of it keeps them on their toes. these mars signs could also lack sense of security in their actions, which could leave them wondering whether they were right or wrong and as a result they might not fight for themselves as hard as they should. it is important for them to have a big support system that reassures and validates their actions when conflicts arise.

𓋼𓍊 Gemini/Virgo Jupiter- these natives have a hard time seeing beyond logic explanation, they could experience something and until they don’t find logic behind it they won’t be satisfied. get fixated on many things but never seems to finish or find a final answer to any of them. is not that they’re unable to finish them, they’re just no longer interested to. closed minded towards otherworldly subjects, or tries very hard to understand it.

𓋼𓍊 Cancer/Leo Saturn- these natives lack discipline but want it. they might vent to you that they do not like their current monetary situation and are looking to make some changes in that aspect of their life, but the next day you see them spending all their money on clothes. they know this is wrong but will still do it. they may be prone to control people and situations because they think they know what’s best for everyone. however, they do not like people telling them what to do lol. they might be prone to burnouts easily and immune system problems.

𓋼𓍊 Sagittarius/Pisces Mercury- struggles to find something that feels “right” for them, when they do find it they mostly have to work harder than everybody else to catch up. problems with communication; either started talking late or have problems expressing themselves as they get older. prone to saying things that don’t make sense upfront which will make them have to explain themselves often. this might create insecurities that will lead them to express themselves less. this is the reason why I think so many great writers have these placements, they can just erase and reword their writing without being judged for it.

- fyodor dostoevsky, jane austen, james joyce, victor hugo, emily dickinson

𓋼𓍊 Capricorn Moon- find it difficult to be vulnerable, this translates to needing or wanting material security to make sure they won’t need anyone. do not like to rely on anyone for emotional/financial support even if they really need it. despite all this, they are very emotional. the difference between them and their sister sign cancer is that they are not expressive with their emotions or act on them. something I have noticed is that they are not as workaholics as people might expect them to be, however when they work, they splurge on the money they make or might be stingy with it, as either one of these actions brings security to them. most of the times they don’t feel loved by either one of their parents even if they’ve both always been present in their lives.

𓋼𓍊 Aquarius Sun- natives are hard to describe for me because I have not met many of them, I feel like most hideaway at home lol. one thing i’ve noticed is that they cry a lot and are unapologetic about it. these people shine bright like their sister sign leo, the difference is they don’t want to so they avoid situations where they have to or when they are put in these situations they have to make sure their presentation is flawless. however in day to day life they do not really care how they’re perceived. they’re the ones that go to school in pijama pants. they also oftentimes seek some form of validation with other people, which is why they change partners often. very physically beautiful, but doesn’t seem to know or act on it.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope y’all have a wonderful day.

guide

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cazshmere · 8 months ago

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8th house sign in the natal chart and what you fear ❤️‍🩹

materialist🔖

DISCLAIMER: These are just my personal observations and are meant for entertainment purposes only; it may not resonate with everyone due to the nuances of astrology. Please respect my work and avoid copying or stealing it. Enjoy reading!! 🥀✨

🥀 Aries in the 8th House:

1. Fear of losing control or appearing weak in front of others.

2. Fear of taking initiative in unfamiliar situations.

3. Anxiety about asserting themselves or putting their needs first.

4. Worry about competing with others, especially when their abilities might be challenged.

5. Concern about having to do things alone without support from others.

6. Fear of not being able to maintain their usual level of confidence and independence.

🥀 Taurus in the 8th House:

1. Fear of instability, especially financial loss or material insecurity.

2. Fear of not having comfort or stability in their life.

3. Anxiety over changes that disrupt their sense of security or routine.

4. Worry about losing possessions that provide a sense of comfort or status.

5. Concern about not having access to luxury or material abundance.

6. Fear of being perceived as "lazy" or "materialistic" due to their desire for comfort.

🥀 Gemini in the 8th House:

1. Fear of being misunderstood or having their ideas dismissed.

2. Fear of communicating their thoughts, especially if they might be misunderstood.

3. Anxiety about being ignored or overlooked in important conversations.

4. Worry about not having enough mental stimulation in life, leading to boredom.

5. Concern about being seen as unreliable due to their versatile nature.

6. Fear of being labeled as "two-faced" or insincere by others.

🥀 Cancer in the 8th House:

1. Fear of emotional vulnerability or being abandoned by loved ones.

2. Anxiety about exposing deep emotions and being hurt or rejected.

3. Worry about being perceived as overly sensitive or dependent.

4. Concern about emotional betrayal or being taken advantage of.

5. Fear of losing the emotional security provided by close relationships.

6. Unease with situations that force them to confront their own emotional depth.

🥀 Leo in the 8th House:

1. Fear of being overshadowed or not receiving recognition.

2. Fear of not receiving the attention they desire or being forgotten by others.

3. Anxiety about not getting validation from others for their efforts or achievements.

4. Worry about not being able to truly express themselves in a way that is appreciated.

5. Concern about not being recognized for their talents and hard work.

6. Fear of being outshined by others, leading to feelings of inadequacy.

🥀 Virgo in the 8th House:

1. Fear of making mistakes or being seen as imperfect.

2. Anxiety about revealing flaws or weaknesses, especially in high-pressure situations.

3. Worry about not meeting the high standards they set for themselves or others.

4. Concern about being perceived as overly critical, which might alienate people.

5. Fear of being seen as less competent or reliable, leading to feelings of inadequacy.

6. Unease with situations where their attention to detail might be overlooked or undervalued.

🥀 Libra in the 8th House:

1. Fear of conflict, imbalance, or being judged harshly by others.

2. Fear of intimacy or being vulnerable with loved ones, leading to emotional exposure.

3. Anxiety about conflicts in relationships that disrupt harmony or balance.

4. Worry about being judged harshly for their decisions or behaviors, particularly in social settings.

5. Concern about being perceived as "rude" if they assert themselves or disagree with others.

6. Fear of not being able to maintain the peace and harmony they strive for in their relationships.

🥀 Scorpio in the 8th House:

1. Fear of betrayal, losing power, or having their secrets exposed.

2. Anxiety about losing control or being manipulated by others.

3. Worry about others uncovering their deepest fears, desires, or secrets.

4. Concern about not being able to maintain their usual level of intensity and focus and sometimes hiding their intensity because they don’t know if others would accept them if they did show it.

5. Fear of emotional vulnerability, which might lead to feelings of powerlessness.

6. Unease with situations that force them to confront their own darker impulses.

🥀 Sagittarius in the 8th House:

1. Fear of being restricted, losing freedom, or facing the unknown.

2. Anxiety about being confined or trapped in situations that limit their independence.

3. Worry about not being able to explore or pursue their personal beliefs and interests.

4. Concern about being forced to conform to rules or structures that limit their autonomy.

5. Fear of losing their sense of optimism or faith in challenging circumstances.

6. Unease with situations that require commitment or settling down, which might limit their opportunities for growth.

🥀 Capricorn in the 8th House:

1. Fear of failure, losing status, or not achieving their goals.

2. Anxiety about not reaching the level of success or stability they aspire to.

3. Worry about losing their reputation or standing in society, especially in professional settings.

4. Concern about not being able to achieve the long-term goals they set for themselves.

5. Fear of being overwhelmed by responsibilities that exceed their capacity to manage.

6. Unease with situations where their sense of structure or control is threatened.

🥀 Aquarius in the 8th House:

1. Fear of conformity, losing individuality, or being rejected by society.

2. Anxiety about losing their uniqueness or being forced to conform to societal norms.

3. Worry about not being able to fully express their innovative or unconventional ideas.

4. Concern about being rejected or ostracized for their differences or their ability to try out new ways of doing things.

5. Fear of losing their sense of freedom or independence in group settings.

6. Unease with situations where they feel pressured to fit in or compromise their values.

🥀 Pisces in the 8th House:

1. Fear of being overwhelmed by emotions, losing their sense of self, or facing harsh realities.

2. Anxiety about being consumed by their own or others' emotions, leading to feelings of instability.

3. Worry about losing their sense of self or identity in relationships, especially if they become overly dependent.

4. Concern about facing harsh or unpleasant realities they'd rather avoid, leading to escapist tendencies.

5. Fear of being perceived as too sensitive or overly emotional by others.

6. Unease with situations that require them to be practical, grounded, or confront life's harsh realities.

banner & photo credits: @/kiaa-chin

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dragonnarrative-writes · 24 days ago

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Generative AI Is Bad For Your Creative Brain

In the wake of early announcing that their blog will no longer be posting fanfiction, I wanted to offer a different perspective than the ones I’ve been seeing in the argument against the use of AI in fandom spaces. Often, I’m seeing the arguments that the use of generative AI or Large Language Models (LLMs) make creative expression more accessible. Certainly, putting a prompt into a chat box and refining the output as desired is faster than writing a 5000 word fanfiction or learning to draw digitally or traditionally. But I would argue that the use of chat bots and generative AI actually limits - and ultimately reduces - one’s ability to enjoy creativity.

Creativity, defined by the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, is the ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas. By definition, the use of generative AI discourages the brain from engaging with thoughts creatively. ChatGPT, character bots, and other generative AI products have to be trained on already existing text. In order to produce something “usable,” LLMs analyzes patterns within text to organize information into what the computer has been trained to identify as “desirable” outputs. These outputs are not always accurate due to the fact that computers don’t “think” the way that human brains do. They don’t create. They take the most common and refined data points and combine them according to predetermined templates to assemble a product. In the case of chat bots that are fed writing samples from authors, the product is not original - it’s a mishmash of the writings that were fed into the system.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a therapy modality developed by Marsha M. Linehan based on the understanding that growth comes when we accept that we are doing our best and we can work to better ourselves further. Within this modality, a few core concepts are explored, but for this argument I want to focus on Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation. Mindfulness, put simply, is awareness of the information our senses are telling us about the present moment. Emotion regulation is our ability to identify, understand, validate, and control our reaction to the emotions that result from changes in our environment. One of the skills taught within emotion regulation is Building Mastery - putting forth effort into an activity or skill in order to experience the pleasure that comes with seeing the fruits of your labor. These are by no means the only mechanisms of growth or skill development, however, I believe that mindfulness, emotion regulation, and building mastery are a large part of the core of creativity. When someone uses generative AI to imitate fanfiction, roleplay, fanart, etc., the core experience of creative expression is undermined.

Creating engages the body. As a writer who uses pen and paper as well as word processors while drafting, I had to learn how my body best engages with my process. The ideal pen and paper, the fact that I need glasses to work on my computer, the height of the table all factor into how I create. I don’t use audio recordings or transcriptions because that’s not a skill I’ve cultivated, but other authors use those tools as a way to assist their creative process. I can’t speak with any authority to the experience of visual artists, but my understanding is that the feedback and feel of their physical tools, the programs they use, and many other factors are not just part of how they learned their craft, they are essential to their art.

Generative AI invites users to bypass mindfully engaging with the physical act of creating. Part of becoming a person who creates from the vision in one’s head is the physical act of practicing. How did I learn to write? By sitting down and making myself write, over and over, word after word. I had to learn the rhythms of my body, and to listen when pain tells me to stop. I do not consider myself a visual artist - I have not put in the hours to learn to consistently combine line and color and form to show the world the idea in my head.

But I could.

Learning a new skill is possible. But one must be able to regulate one’s unpleasant emotions to be able to get there. The emotion that gets in the way of most people starting their creative journey is anxiety. Instead of a focus on “fear,” I like to define this emotion as “unpleasant anticipation.” In Atlas of the Heart, Brene Brown identifies anxiety as both a trait (a long term characteristic) and a state (a temporary condition). That is, we can be naturally predisposed to be impacted by anxiety, and experience unpleasant anticipation in response to an event. And the action drive associated with anxiety is to avoid the unpleasant stimulus.

Starting a new project, developing a new skill, and leaning into a creative endevor can inspire and cause people to react to anxiety. There is an unpleasant anticipation of things not turning out exactly correctly, of being judged negatively, of being unnoticed or even ignored. There is a lot less anxiety to be had in submitting a prompt to a machine than to look at a blank page and possibly make what could be a mistake. Unfortunately, the more something is avoided, the more anxiety is generated when it comes up again. Using generative AI doesn’t encourage starting a new project and learning a new skill - in fact, it makes the prospect more distressing to the mind, and encourages further avoidance of developing a personal creative process.

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety about a task, according to DBT, is for a person to do that task. Opposite action is a method of reducing the intensity of an emotion by going against its action urge. The action urge of anxiety is to avoid, and so opposite action encourages someone to approach the thing they are anxious about. This doesn’t mean that everyone who has anxiety about creating should make themselves write a 50k word fanfiction as their first project. But in order to reduce anxiety about dealing with a blank page, one must face and engage with a blank page. Even a single sentence fragment, two lines intersecting, an unintentional drop of ink means the page is no longer blank. If those are still difficult to approach a prompt, tutorial, or guided exercise can be used to reinforce the understanding that a blank page can be changed, slowly but surely by your own hand.

(As an aside, I would discourage the use of AI prompt generators - these often use prompts that were already created by a real person without credit. Prompt blogs and posts exist right here on tumblr, as well as imagines and headcannons that people often label “free to a good home.” These prompts can also often be specific to fandom, style, mood, etc., if you’re looking for something specific.)

In the current social media and content consumption culture, it’s easy to feel like the first attempt should be a perfect final product. But creating isn’t just about the final product. It’s about the process. Bo Burnam’s Inside is phenomenal, but I think the outtakes are just as important. We didn’t get That Funny Feeling and How the World Works and All Eyes on Me because Bo Burnham woke up and decided to write songs in the same day. We got them because he’s been been developing and honing his craft, as well as learning about himself as a person and artist, since he was a teenager. Building mastery in any skill takes time, and it’s often slow.

Slow is an important word, when it comes to creating. The fact that skill takes time to develop and a final piece of art takes time regardless of skill is it’s own source of anxiety. Compared to @sentientcave, who writes about 2k words per day, I’m very slow. And for all the time it takes me, my writing isn’t perfect - I find typos after posting and sometimes my phrasing is awkward. But my writing is better than it was, and my confidence is much higher. I can sit and write for longer and longer periods, my projects are more diverse, I’m sharing them with people, even before the final edits are done. And I only learned how to do this because I took the time to push through the discomfort of not being as fast or as skilled as I want to be in order to learn what works for me and what doesn’t.

Building mastery - getting better at a skill over time so that you can see your own progress - isn’t just about getting better. It’s about feeling better about your abilities. Confidence, excitement, and pride are important emotions to associate with our own actions. It teaches us that we are capable of making ourselves feel better by engaging with our creativity, a confidence that can be generalized to other activities.

Generative AI doesn’t encourage its users to try new things, to make mistakes, and to see what works. It doesn’t reward new accomplishments to encourage the building of new skills by connecting to old ones. The reward centers of the brain have nothing to respond to to associate with the action of the user. There is a short term input-reward pathway, but it’s only associated with using the AI prompter. It’s designed to encourage the user to come back over and over again, not develop the skill to think and create for themselves.

I don’t know that anyone will change their minds after reading this. It’s imperfect, and I’ve summarized concepts that can take months or years to learn. But I can say that I learned something from the process of writing it. I see some of the flaws, and I can see how my essay writing has changed over the years. This might have been faster to plug into AI as a prompt, but I can see how much more confidence I have in my own voice and opinions. And that’s not something chatGPT can ever replicate.

#fandom and ethics #writing meta #anti ai #creativity #mental health #dragonnarrativewrites essays

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blacknedsoul-blog · 3 months ago

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Social climbers and the relationship with power: Ada's tragedy

You buddies don't dimension how much I raised my eyebrows when I saw this scene:

Ada climbing on top of a deer (a very typical symbolic representation of noble masculinity) who is trying to fiercely shake her off while she desperately clings to him with all her might...

And is THAT what makes her have a flashback of her relationship with Tamerline? Buddy, I'm putting on a hat to take it off.

Anyway, this means I have enough material to talk about Ada.

Social climbers and power

Ada is, apparently, a social climber: she longs for a social space to which she feels she is entitled, but to which she considers herself not to belong. This is something that can give us clues about her socio-economic situation in life: social climbers are extremely common in spaces such as, for example, the child of a first generation of professionals or of parents who have been able to provide better economic passages despite not belonging to social elites.

So, one thing to be clear about the way Ada relates to people in general is through this lens: the way she tries to move up socially (i.e. to power) is through her relationships with people, if she is close to a person who has power or belongs to an elite, then she is accessing these spaces. If that person does not have it, then she uses the relationship to reassert the position she wants to have.

Ada's personal tragedy is that this way of relating to the world puts her in an extremely vulnerable position with respect to her interpersonal relationships because, if they were not asymmetrical from the beginning, she makes them asymmetrical. It's as true that Ada gets into complicated relationships willingly as it is that she is a victim of people like Tamerlane. You know, the same logic of tragedies.

So let me do a little review of all the relationships Ada has had in the comic, how they go and what is the pattern they follow.

The triad of discord

There are three things that all of Ada's relationships have in common (except one, but we'll get to that): 1) She seeks to get some sort of validation from the other person. 2) She tends to push the person's boundaries, even if they were explicitly stated. 3) Even if the person has some degree of affection or sympathy for her, Ada will never be her priority over other things. Be these things other people, personal desires, etc, etc.

So let's review this a bit.

Let's start with the bastard of Thomas Tamerline. If anything their interaction during chapter 110 makes clear to us is that the guy is quite explicit with the fact that this relationship is purely sex for him (and he possibly enjoys the degree of control he exerts over her), Ada repeatedly tries to get some validation or affection from him and the guy barely complies with the bare minimum.

That he ends up murdering her indicates that, regardless of motive, he sees her as an inconvenience to his personal desires that must be gotten out of the way and, as the icing on the cake, puts the responsibility on her.

Now on to Prospero. His resemblance to Thomas is obvious enough to understand why Ada would be attracted to him and constantly seeks to touch him or be near him, no matter how much Prospero tells her that he is not interested in her. This is an attitude she has even before Annabel encourages her by saying that “Prospero is just being shy”.

Eventually it happens what it does: Prospero is fed up with her and doesn't hesitate to tell her so to her face. We can argue whether or not he's justified in being this cruel, but by the standards of this argument that's irrelevant: the important thing here is that Prospero doesn't care about Ada's feelings enough to be nicer.

Let's go now to Lenore. Ada is extremely mean to her until Lenore demonstrates that she was able to pass the maze test on her own. This is, in Ada's eyes, a demonstration of power and she, as she is wont to do, will not pass up the opportunity to get on the good side of a person who could be a potential rising star.

This is cut short by her same group, but they reconnect at the mansion trial. Since Lenore is not interested in relating on power terms (for better and for worse), here they have the opportunity to share on more equal terms on both their parts. Yes, Lenore is also doing this for personal reasons, but it doesn't take away from the merit.

Ada ends up overstepping boundaries and betraying Lenore at the end of the trial. And after she learns of her Ada's involvement in Duke's kidnapping, well, all she has to say when Pluto fills her in is says that shitty relationship is strangely appropriate.

Yes, Lenore may have come to have some degree of affection for her, but Ada is no more important than her friends and after getting into something like that, to hell with her.

With Annabel things start to get more interesting. These two have a cocktail of projection and resentment between them: Annabel is all Ada wants, so she treats her like a pretty accessory that gives her status (something that definitely oversteps Annabel's boundaries, even if she hasn't expressed them because it doesn't suit her) and, to Annabel, Ada is little more than an important piece she can take advantage of.

This take it with a grain of salt because there are some “buts.”

On Ada's side, that she seeks help from Annabel when Montresor is being a fucking psycho is an indicator that she felt, at least, protected by Annabel. But as is often the case with her, the plan Annabel is carrying out is no more important than Ada, she just lets it happen.

Twice. Under the circumstances, Annabel chooses to help Prospero over Ada.

However, Ada is not indifferent to Annabel: she is definitely furious with Montresor after what he did (In fact, this is the only scene so far where we have seen Annabel exercising any form of physical aggression)., she is uncomfortable when Prospero is mean to Ada, and there are a few small frames where she looks at her with sincere pity.

But again, that won't make Annabel prioritize her over her own plans.

Finally, we come to the most interesting relationship here.

Ada definitely cares about Morella, but that won't make constantly denigrating her a reaffirmation of the position she believes (or wants) to have: making comments like Morella's food “is poor.” Ada pecks at the boundaries with a stick, yet these things -for some reason- don't seem to bother Morella, who is able to see the good in her despite her bad attitudes. Until she stops doing it because not only participating in Duke's kidnapping, but also trying to play cool by making excuses is out of bounds even for Morella.

But an interesting thing happens here too, remember how Ada is never a priority for anyone? Well, for a moment in her relationship with Morella it looks like this is going to be different. Morella makes a feeble attempt to defend her when Montresor makes her bark and puts a shield in her face when Prospero attacks her in the mansion trial.

Unfortunately for Ada, Morella is someone too lacking in backbone and too concerned with following the rules to stand up for her when it really counts.

After Ada manifests and bursts into tears, she pushes Morella away from her with a shove.

Morella says she wants to help, but all it takes is for Poppet to remind her that she needs to get back the Merits she lost for Morella to finally give in.

The two people Ada considered her friends have left her: Annabel has chosen to help Prospero and Morella has left.

That's when Montresor enters.

And here begins the first break in Ada's toxic pattern of relationships...but not for the better.

Ada and Montresor

Oddly enough, these two are a good match...for horrible reasons. Montresor, like Ada, is a social climber who uses interpersonal relationships to get closer to power, only in a different way: where Ada sticks it to people who hold power, Montresor uses others to reassert himself in a position of power. So, Ada feeds Montresor's ego, while he can pretend to like her enough to keep Ada happy.

Because yes, Ada and Montresor's relationship fulfills most of the bad patterns in relationships that Ada usually has: she seeks validation in this relationship and Montresor definitely doesn't prioritize her (she constantly has to compete with Will for Montresor's attention, for example). But the important thing here is that, for once, Ada isn't the one constantly pecking at the other person's boundaries: it's Montresor who does it.

He pushes her around, teases her, calls her by other women's names, and it's probably only a matter of time before this starts to get worse. What's interesting is that Ada is able to get upset when this happens, unlike what we see in the flashback to her relationship with Thomas.

So there is something changing here.

Conclusion

I'm not sure where this is going to lead, but one thing is for sure: Montresor is a reflection of a toxic pattern of behavior that Ada has in her relationships and if she's starting to get uncomfortable with it, it's not just because the abyss is staring back at her, but because she's getting herself into a situation too similar to her relationship with Thomas to not know how it might end.

Add to that this:

This is the first time in the comic that Ada has had such a selfless gesture for another person. And that selfless gesture is something as big as putting herself in danger to save someone. As if all this wasn't enough, it's been to save Annabel: one of the two friends who turned their backs on her when she needed them.

I don't know if this will be the start of her character development or we should interpret it as deathflags placed over her head, but one thing is for sure: whatever is going to come out of here has quite a bit of potential.

#nevermore webtoon #annabel lee nevermore #lenore nevermore #ada nevermore #Prospero nevermore #montresor nevermore

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yey56 · 2 months ago

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HARLEY SAWYER X PSYCHOLOGIST READER

Before everything:

Both Harley and (Y/N) had worked on the Playtime company before actually getting to know each other. They've seen each other, rarely, but sometimes in corridors or around the compound in general

When Sawyer had to visit the orphanage to observe the development of the children, sometimes you would be there. At first he took you for another bleeding heart, just as the rest of the caretakers. Then he learned you were a psychologist, at that time you were just that but he could see something in your gaze, something analytical, something that brushed a deep rooted curiosity.

He was curious. Harley didn't right away ask you or even approached you, he had more important things to do, but whenever he needed to go to Home Sweet Home, he would stare a little bit longer than needed trying to find that look of yours. The look that said that you were observing not admiring.

Later on, you were promoted by Elliot Ludwig himself as head psychologist of the company and or course, you were granted executive access.

Now you had knowledge of the deeper and darker secrets of the factory and of course you were expected to participate.

The first person you started talking with was Leith Pierre. The head of innovation and the head psychologist were two positions that complemented each other well because of the need of better, newer and more effective designs on toys and staff management.

You always worked closely to the innovation team, giving ideas and offering advice that would make the toys and the company more appealing.

But it was later, when the Bigger Bodies initiative was presented that you started working with Harley more often. The experiments needed mental stability so they wouldn't pose a threat to other stuff and to children. And of course to work efficiently.

At first he hated the compassion and empathy you showed the toys. How you were an ear to listen, to validate and to advice. To help them navigate the change. To see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But he was somewhat wrong in his opinion about you. When you talked to him about them you gave him a full report of the experiments mental weakness and where to improve so they could be more controlable, manageable.

You, just as him, were searching for control and while he imposed it over the experiments; you made them let you in. Where he found walls that delayed his work, you found a door of which you had the key.

That's when he understood why you looked at them that way. You were analysing your surroundings. Already strategizing a way to crack them open.

Of course you sometimes showed some preference over certain experiments, everyone is entitled to a whim, and even though you really seemed to have certain care for certain toys, that never stopped you so there was no problem.

You were made to adapt. You needed to adapt. Every toy was different, every kid had a different world in their head's. You were more than willing to explore it and conquer it.

Even though somewhere deep in you felt a little sad for the situation of the kids. You've made yourself be able to chose what to feel at any given moment, therefore you would be able to just ignore it for your own good.

No project would ever get done if you just felt bad for pushing the boundaries. The limits where what draw the line between mediocre and greatness.

This project was everything to you. Any reminder of the moral compass you might thought to have was thrown away in order to satisfy your need to unravel the human, and not so human mind after pushing the boundaries of life.

And the same way Harley noticed your true intentions by pure analytical view, you noticed his.

Harley, as much as he hated was still very much human and as the human he was he had his outbursts. He was an easy man to anger.

When you started to get more confortable with each other, he would sometimes just start ranting about everything that annoyed him that week. You knew showing him empty compassion or useless words would not suffice so, true to yourself you adapted to him recognising what he needed at that moment.

That's what always startled him about you. You were damn good at your job. You knew what he needed, you knew what was needed and you did it with little to no error.

Sometimes he would hear you mumbling to yourself about the development of some experiments or about how Leith was fucking up the designs. To repetitive, to traditional, to boring, to unchild-like.....

Just as you listened when he ranted about what bothered him, he listened to your speeches about how the designs would only decrease the sells and you quoting some psychological studies that discredited whatever the design of the toy was. Sometimes it was the colors that weren't lively enough or didn't combine well; other times it was the unfriendly shape of the toy....

You, just as him didn't like when others did your job (even though it was needed because you cannot be everywhere) because you though that they could never do it as good as you.

He would listen to you talking about child psychology. Talking about how the other psychologist were not handling well the experiments. Sometimes you would joke about them buying their titles or something like that.

(Y/N): "Harley, I swear, I think this idiots bought their titles online because there is no way that someone is that fucking dumb on purpose."

Harley: "I differ, we have Pierre as an example."

Both you and Sawyer basically isolated yourselfs on the deeper laboratories. The executives were noticing this too but since you both were very stubborn people, no one could convince you to stop.

Leith started requesting Ludwig to call you out because whether he liked it or not, your advice in the innovation and marketing department actually helped a lot the company and your absence was taking a toll on the finances.

Once a week you would go up to give Leith your design and give him a very detailed explanation of why this design was the most effective and the one that the public would like the most.

This bothered Harley because he had gotten so used to you that now he was almost unbearable to work with any other specialist or psychologists.

Eventually they all quit or just presented a formal complaint to Ludwig.

Headcannons:

Your fingers are almost always covered in blue ink or in pencil dust due to your reports, notes and designs.

Harley and (Y/N) have, accidentally, switched glasses once or twice and since they have different affections (Harley doesn't see well near and you don't see well far) you basically have a moment of confusion before realising that it's not your glasses.

Leith and (Y/N) actually got along well at the start. But (Y/N)'s obsession on the projects made her very self centered, only worried about feeding her curiosity.

When bigger bodies started, Harley was 39 and (Y/N) 37 while Leith was already 43.

Since (Y/N) stopped taking care of herself so much, the white hairs in her head became more visible after starting the Bigger Bodies initiative.

The kids usually liked (Y/N) a lot because she always treated them as people and not like idiot kids. They basically view them as little adults with less knowledge about the world. That's it.

Harley gets somewhat irritated when (Y/N) is not much time in the laboratory or in the interviews with him because she just starts a new obsession over a project. (Mommy long legs, poppy, Doey, Catnap, Piannosaurius etc.)

Okey people, sorry for not writing but I'm in finals so I want to pass. I've made some drawing.

⚠️⚠️SPOILER PART 5 ⚠️⚠️

(Part 5 in process)

I wanted to give more depth to (Y/N)

-Unedited fanfic-

#x reader #drawing #headcannons #idk man #poppy playtime #harley sawyer x reader #dr harley sawyer #leith pierre #the doctor x reader #the doctor #harley sawyer

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mostlysignssomeportents · 10 months ago

Text

Cleantech has an enshittification problem

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

EVs won't save the planet. Ultimately, the material bill for billions of individual vehicles and the unavoidable geometry of more cars-more traffic-more roads-greater distances-more cars dictate that the future of our cities and planet requires public transit – lots of it.

But no matter how much public transit we install, there's always going to be some personal vehicles on the road, and not just bikes, ebikes and scooters. Between deliveries, accessibility, and stubbornly low-density regions, there's going to be a lot of cars, vans and trucks on the road for the foreseeable future, and these should be electric.

Beyond that irreducible minimum of personal vehicles, there's the fact that individuals can't install their own public transit system; in places that lack the political will or means to create working transit, EVs are a way for people to significantly reduce their personal emissions.

In policy circles, EV adoption is treated as a logistical and financial issue, so governments have focused on making EVs affordable and increasing the density of charging stations. As an EV owner, I can affirm that affordability and logistics were important concerns when we were shopping for a car.

But there's a third EV problem that is almost entirely off policy radar: enshittification.

An EV is a rolling computer in a fancy case with a squishy person inside of it. While this can sound scary, there are lots of cool implications for this. For example, your EV could download your local power company's tariff schedule and preferentially charge itself when the rates are lowest; they could also coordinate with the utility to reduce charging when loads are peaking. You can start them with your phone. Your repair technician can run extensive remote diagnostics on them and help you solve many problems from the road. New features can be delivered over the air.

That's just for starters, but there's so much more in the future. After all, the signal virtue of a digital computer is its flexibility. The only computer we know how to make is the Turing complete, universal, Von Neumann machine, which can run every valid program. If a feature is computationally tractable – from automated parallel parking to advanced collision prevention – it can run on a car.

The problem is that this digital flexibility presents a moral hazard to EV manufacturers. EVs are designed to make any kind of unauthorized, owner-selected modification into an IP rights violation ("IP" in this case is "any law that lets me control the conduct of my customers or competitors"):

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

EVs are also designed so that the manufacturer can unilaterally exert control over them or alter their operation. EVs – even more than conventional vehicles – are designed to be remotely killswitched in order to help manufacturers and dealers pressure people into paying their car notes on time:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

Manufacturers can reach into your car and change how much of your battery you can access:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

They can lock your car and have it send its location to a repo man, then greet him by blinking its lights, honking its horn, and pulling out of its parking space:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

And of course, they can detect when you've asked independent mechanic to service your car and then punish you by degrading its functionality:

https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/06/26/two-of-eight-claims-in-tesla-anti-trust-lawsuit-will-move-forward/

This is "twiddling" – unilaterally and irreversibly altering the functionality of a product or service, secure in the knowledge that IP law will prevent anyone from twiddling back by restoring the gadget to a preferred configuration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

The thing is, for an EV, twiddling is the best case scenario. As bad as it is for the company that made your EV to change how it works whenever they feel like picking your pocket, that's infinitely preferable to the manufacturer going bankrupt and bricking your car.

That's what just happened to owners of Fisker EVs, cars that cost $40-70k. Cars are long-term purchases. An EV should last 12-20 years, or even longer if you pay to swap the battery pack. Fisker was founded in 2016 and shipped its first Ocean SUV in 2023. The company is now bankrupt:

https://insideevs.com/news/723669/fisker-inc-bankruptcy-chapter-11-official/

Fisker called its vehicles "software-based cars" and they weren't kidding. Without continuous software updates and server access, those Fisker Ocean SUVs are turning into bricks. What's more, the company designed the car from the ground up to make any kind of independent service and support into a felony, by wrapping the whole thing in overlapping layers of IP. That means that no one can step in with a module that jailbreaks the Fisker and drops in an alternative firmware that will keep the fleet rolling.

This is the third EV risk – not just finance, not just charger infrastructure, but the possibility that any whizzy, cool new EV company will go bust and brick your $70k cleantech investment, irreversibly transforming your car into 5,500 lb worth of e-waste.

This confers a huge advantage onto the big automakers like VW, Kia, Ford, etc. Tesla gets a pass, too, because it achieved critical mass before people started to wise up to the risk of twiddling and bricking. If you're making a serious investment in a product you expect to use for 20 years, are you really gonna buy it from a two-year old startup with six months' capital in the bank?

The incumbency advantage here means that the big automakers won't have any reason to sink a lot of money into R&D, because they won't have to worry about hungry startups with cool new ideas eating their lunches. They can maintain the cozy cartel that has seen cars stagnate for decades, with the majority of "innovation" taking the form of shitty, extractive and ill-starred ideas like touchscreen controls and an accelerator pedal that you have to rent by the month:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/23/23474969/mercedes-car-subscription-faster-acceleration-feature-price

Put that way, it's clear that this isn't an EV problem, it's a cleantech problem. Cleantech has all the problems of EVs: it requires a large capital expenditure, it will be "smart," and it is expected to last for decades. That's rooftop solar, heat-pumps, smart thermostat sensor arrays, and home storage batteries.

And just as with EVs, policymakers have focused on infrastructure and affordability without paying any attention to the enshittification risks. Your rooftop solar will likely be controlled via a Solaredge box – a terrible technology that stops working if it can't reach the internet for a protracted period (that's right, your home solar stops working if the grid fails!).

I found this out the hard way during the covid lockdowns, when Solaredge terminated its 3G cellular contract and notified me that I would have to replace the modem in my system or it would stop working. This was at the height of the supply-chain crisis and there was a long waiting list for any replacement modems, with wifi cards (that used your home internet rather than a cellular connection) completely sold out for most of a year.

There are good reasons to connect rooftop solar arrays to the internet – it's not just so that Solaredge can enshittify my service. Solar arrays that coordinate with the grid can make it much easier and safer to manage a grid that was designed for centralized power production and is being retrofitted for distributed generation, one roof at a time.

But when the imperatives of extraction and efficiency go to war, extraction always wins. After all, the Solaredge system is already in place and solar installers are largely ignorant of, and indifferent to, the reasons that a homeowner might want to directly control and monitor their system via local controls that don't roundtrip through the cloud.

Somewhere in the hindbrain of any prospective solar purchaser is the experience with bricked and enshittified "smart" gadgets, and the knowledge that anything they buy from a cool startup with lots of great ideas for improving production, monitoring, and/or costs poses the risk of having your 20 year investment bricked after just a few years – and, thanks to the extractive imperative, no one will be able to step in and restore your ex-solar array to good working order.

I make the majority of my living from books, which means that my pay is very "lumpy" – I get large sums when I publish a book and very little in between. For many years, I've used these payments to make big purchases, rather than financing them over long periods where I can't predict my income. We've used my book payments to put in solar, then an induction stove, then a battery. We used one to buy out the lease on our EV. And just a month ago, we used the money from my upcoming Enshittification book to put in a heat pump (with enough left over to pay for a pair of long-overdue cataract surgeries, scheduled for the fall).

When we started shopping for heat pumps, it was clear that this was a very exciting sector. First of all, heat pumps are kind of magic, so efficient and effective it's almost surreal. But beyond the basic tech – which has been around since the late 1940s – there is a vast ferment of cool digital features coming from exciting and innovative startups.

By nature, I'm the kid of person who likes these digital features. I started out as a computer programmer, and while I haven't written production code since the previous millennium, I've been in and around the tech industry for my whole adult life. But when it came time to buy a heat-pump – an investment that I expected to last for 20 years or more – there was no way I was going to buy one of these cool new digitally enhanced pumps, no matter how much the reviewers loved them. Sure, they'd work well, but it's precisely because I'm so knowledgeable about high tech that I could see that they would fail very, very badly.

You may think EVs are bullshit, and they are – though there will always be room for some personal vehicles, and it's better for people in transit deserts to drive EVs than gas-guzzlers. You may think rooftop solar is a dead-end and be all-in on utility scale solar (I think we need both, especially given the grid-disrupting extreme climate events on our horizon). But there's still a wide range of cleantech – induction tops, heat pumps, smart thermostats – that are capital intensive, have a long duty cycle, and have good reasons to be digitized and networked.

Take home storage batteries: your utility can push its rate card to your battery every time they change their prices, and your battery can use that information to decide when to let your house tap into the grid, and when to switch over to powering your home with the solar you've stored up during the day. This is a very old and proven pattern in tech: the old Fidonet BBS network used a version of this, with each BBS timing its calls to other nodes to coincide with the cheapest long-distance rates, so that messages for distant systems could be passed on:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FidoNet

Cleantech is a very dynamic sector, even if its triumphs are largely unheralded. There's a quiet revolution underway in generation, storage and transmission of renewable power, and a complimentary revolution in power-consumption in vehicles and homes:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/12/s-curve/#anything-that-cant-go-on-forever-eventually-stops

But cleantech is too important to leave to the incumbents, who are addicted to enshittification and planned obsolescence. These giant, financialized firms lack the discipline and culture to make products that have the features – and cost savings – to make them appealing to the very wide range of buyers who must transition as soon as possible, for the sake of the very planet.

It's not enough for our policymakers to focus on financing and infrastructure barriers to cleantech adoption. We also need a policy-level response to enshittification.

Ideally, every cleantech device would be designed so that it was impossible to enshittify – which would also make it impossible to brick:

Based on free software (best), or with source code escrowed with a trustee who must release the code if the company enters administration (distant second-best);

All patents in a royalty-free patent-pool (best); or in a trust that will release them into a royalty-free pool if the company enters administration (distant second-best);

No parts-pairing or other DRM permitted (best); or with parts-pairing utilities available to all parties on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (distant second-best);

All diagnostic and error codes in the public domain, with all codes in the clear within the device (best); or with decoding utilities available on demand to all comers on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (distant second-best).

There's an obvious business objection to this: it will reduce investment in innovative cleantech because investors will perceive these restrictions as limits on the expected profits of their portfolio companies. It's true: these measures are designed to prevent rent-extraction and other enshittificatory practices by cleantech companies, and to the extent that investors are counting on enshittification rents, this might prevent them from investing.

But that has to be balanced against the way that a general prohibition on enshittificatory practices will inspire consumer confidence in innovative and novel cleantech products, because buyers will know that their investments will be protected over the whole expected lifespan of the product, even if the startup goes bust (nearly every startup goes bust). These measures mean that a company with a cool product will have a much larger customer-base to sell to. Those additional sales more than offset the loss of expected revenue from cheating and screwing your customers by twiddling them to death.

There's also an obvious legal objection to this: creating these policies will require a huge amount of action from Congress and the executive branch, a whole whack of new rules and laws to make them happen, and each will attract court-challenges.

That's also true, though it shouldn't stop us from trying to get legal reforms. As a matter of public policy, it's terrible and fucked up that companies can enshittify the things we buy and leave us with no remedy.

However, we don't have to wait for legal reform to make this work. We can take a shortcut with procurement – the things governments buy with public money. The feds, the states and localities buy a lot of cleantech: for public facilities, for public housing, for public use. Prudent public policy dictates that governments should refuse to buy any tech unless it is designed to be enshittification-resistant.

This is an old and honorable tradition in policymaking. Lincoln insisted that the rifles he bought for the Union Army come with interoperable tooling and ammo, for obvious reasons. No one wants to be the Commander in Chief who shows up on the battlefield and says, "Sorry, boys, war's postponed, our sole supplier decided to stop making ammunition."

By creating a market for enshittification-proof cleantech, governments can ensure that the public always has the option of buying an EV that can't be bricked even if the maker goes bust, a heat-pump whose digital features can be replaced or maintained by a third party of your choosing, a solar controller that coordinates with the grid in ways that serve their owners – not the manufacturers' shareholders.

We're going to have to change a lot to survive the coming years. Sure, there's a lot of scary ways that things can go wrong, but there's plenty about our world that should change, and plenty of ways those changes could be for the better. It's not enough for policymakers to focus on ensuring that we can afford to buy whatever badly thought-through, extractive tech the biggest companies want to foist on us – we also need a focus on making cleantech fit for purpose, truly smart, reliable and resilient.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/26/unplanned-obsolescence/#better-micetraps

Image: 臺灣古寫真上色 (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raid_on_Kagi_City_1945.jpg

Grendelkhan (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ground_mounted_solar_panels.gk.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

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