#How Does Reiki Really Work

[ms-demeanor]

Hey friend! So while I'm incredibly skeptical, I'm not strictly against alternative medicine, like you are. I saw you mention reiki, and thought you might geek out on this article like I did:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200308195914/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/04/reiki-cant-possibly-work-so-why-does-it/606808/

It's called "Reiki Can't Possibly Work. So Why Does It?" and I highly encourage reading the whole thing. It first of all thoroughly debunks a lot of the claims reiki practitioners make but it also details all of the studies that have proven its effectiveness and provides what I find a pretty compelling explanation: that much of modern western medicine is stressful and traumatizing. Of course laying in a quiet room with the lights dimmed while a kind person sits with you and wishes for you to be well is effective. It reduces stress and all of the negative biological processes it triggers, which promotes healing.

The article mentions that for years we didn't understand the mechanism by which acetaminophen worked - we just knew it did. I knew a man who was really into "chakra therapy" in the 90s where he had a set of colored sunglasses that, supposedly, would rebalance one's out-of-whack chakras through light therapy. He found that attending to his throat chakra, yellow, helped him sleep better. Years later, formal studies found that yellow lenses filter blue light and can help regulate circadian rhythms.

When I was really little, my uncle sold magnet therapy products (which claimed to promote circulation?? I think??). I had a huge meltdown at a family reunion and no one could get me to calm down. My uncle put a blanket full of magnets on top of me, and I immediately relaxed. Imagine my surprise hearing that story for the first time as an adult who now uses a weighted blanket for stress.

I agree that people need to be really careful about these practices, about getting scammed, and especially about herbal supplements that can have dangerous interactions. I also think there's an extent to which you can analyze the risks and benefits and say, "Okay, I have no idea why this works but it does and there's no major downsides."

Hey so I get a bit heated in this response but I want you to know that I approached this ask in good faith because I know you and I know that we have a lot of the same values and interests and this touched a nerve that was not at all your fault and once I get past the direct response to the article I think I come off a little less. Um. Like the aggression there is not directed at you, it's directed at the article and at one person mentioned in the article specifically who is part of why my reaction to the article is so not good. But I promise after the last bullet point I come off as less reactive, I think. (I'm also publishing this publicly because I think it may be helpful for people to see how CAM stuff often gets away with a veneer of skepticism-that-isn't-actually-skepticism - the article claims to be skeptical but then makes a ton of assumptions and cites some truly mind-bogglingly bad sources that a lot of people won't recognize as bad if they don't have a hair trigger trained by far too much time on the bad CAM parts of the internet).

I've actually read that article a few time times, and would like to do a quick rundown on why I find it unconvincing:

She doesn't cite any decent studies on reiki; one that she does cite is just a self-reported questionnaire response from 23 people in 2002.

While we don't know the exact mechanism of action for acetaminophen, we do know that it does work - it measurably reduces fever and in double blinded RCTs produces reproduceable results in reducing certain kinds of pain. The Science Based Medicine authors cited in the article who called for an end to studies on reiki did so both because there is no plausible mechanism of action for reiki (specifically as energy work, not as 'being in a room with a patient person who listens to you') and because there is no good evidence that it works. (And they wrote a follow-up to the Atlantic article; I like SBM but it's quite sneery, as are most of their write-ups of reiki). When Kisner asks "why should this be different?" when comparing reiki and acetaminophen, the answer is: because there is not only no plausible way that reiki *could* work, there is not any good evidence we have that it works better than placebo.

"Various non-Western practices have become popular complements to conventional medicine in the past few decades, chief among them yoga, meditation, and acupuncture, all of which have been the subject of rigorous scientific studies that have established and explained their effectiveness." This one sentence needs probably twenty or so links in response, suffice it to say that western medicine has emphatically not established and explained the effectiveness of AT LEAST acupuncture and the casually credulous way Kisner accepts that acupuncture is effective (effective FOR WHAT?) throws some serious doubt on her ability to assess these kinds of things.

The title of the article is "Reiki can't possibly work, so why does it?" and that's probably the Atlantic's fault more than Jordan Kisner's fault, but she doesn't ever demonstrate that it works. She says she got a buzzy feeling after her training, she says that patients at the VA were asking for reiki as treatment for pain and sleep disorders, she says that people remembered "healing touches" from parents and loved ones and that the same mechanism might be what makes reiki 'work.' She says that reiki "has been shown by various studies that pass evidentiary muster to help patients in a variety of ways when used as a complementary practice" and the two studies that she includes that weren't just a questionnaire were 1) a non-blinded study of heart rate variability post heart attack where the reiki arm involved continuous interaction with a trained nurse and the other two arms involved resting quietly or classical music (so relaxation as a result of additional focused attention by attentive medical professionals could account for this? Why was the control for this study not having a med student sit and hold the patient's hand?) and 2) a study of patients who sought out reiki who were surveyed after treatment and noted improvement on one of twenty mental or physical markers (this study is like, GOLD for an example of a bad study; no control, self-selected participants who believe in the efficacy of the intervention, exceptionally broad criteria for a positive result - I find it really really really challenging to grant any credence to someone who confidently cited this as an example of reiki "working")

Near the end of the article she says "At the same time, this recalled the most cutting-edge, Harvard-stamped science I’d read in my research: Ted Kaptchuk’s finding that the placebo effect is a real, measurable, biological healing response to “an act of caring.” - if she read any of Ted Kaptchuk's research she didn't link to it; what she did link to was a 2018 New York Times profile of him and Kathryn Hall, researchers at Harvard's Placebo Studies and the Therapeutic Encounter program. Being any flavor of journalist and citing Ted Kaptchuk as your source for cutting-edge, institutionally-backed science is disqualifying.

I now need to do some yelling about Ted Kaptchuk.

For clarity: I have as much medical training as Kathryn Hall and Ted Kaptchuk, which is to say: None.

Hall is a microbiologist with a PhD in Public Health, so she at least a background in science. Kaptchuk is an acupuncturist with a BA in East Asian studies and a doctorate in Chinese medicine - notably NOT a medical degree; he was forced to stop calling himself a doctor and had papers retracted after enough people questioned whether the school he claimed he attended even existed and the documents he presented to claim that he was an "OMD" were conclusively translated and did not have any indication that the granted a medical degree of any kind - Science Based Medicine was involved in investigating this because they've been comprehensively anti-quack forever and Ted Kaptchuk has been a quack forever (after recieving confirmation from the government of Macau that Kaptchuk's alma mater was not a medical degree granting institution SBM STILL gave him the benefit of the doubt and had people translate his documentation for final confirmation).

He is also an author on of one of my most beloathed ever studies, which showed that sham acupuncture, placebo, and albuterol all produced the same effect on patient-reported well-being, coming to the conclusion that patient reports can be unreliable and that "placebo effects can be clinically meaningful and can rival the effects of active medication in patients with asthma." That fucking line, that stupid goddamned line, gets cited in every piece of woo bullshit about how acupuncture or chiropractic or some scam-ass diet all work, I've run into this study while looking through at least twenty bibliographies and it is one of the biggest, reddest flags that whoever is writing the paper you're reading is full up on some bullshit. Because, see, the paper found that "placebo effects can be clinically meaningful and can rival the effects of active medication in patients with asthma" in terms of *patient-reported* markers, but the fucking study found that only albuterol produced an actual effect in lung function. Here's the sentence BEFORE the one that gets cited all the time: "Although albuterol, but not the two placebo interventions, improved FEV1 [forced expiratory volume in one second - the measure for lung function used in the study and used to diagnose asthma] in these patients with asthma, albuterol provided no incremental benefit with respect to the self-reported outcomes." It doesn't matter if the patient *feels* better if they can't actually breathe! It doesn't fucking matter - feeling better but still having poor breathing leaves you more vulnerable to dying of a fucking asthma attack! I hate this goddamned study so fucking much and it's used all the time to claim that placebo can be just as effective as medicine for making people FEEL better but, like, they're still sick even if they feel better! I HAVE HAD PEOPLE CITE THIS STUPID FUCKING STUDY TO ME AS EVIDENCE THAT I DON'T CARE ENOUGH ABOUT TREATING MY FUCKING ASTHMA BECAUSE I DON'T GET ACUPUNCTURE TO TREAT MY FUCKING ASTHMA. If sham acupuncture makes you feel better when you've got the flu but doesn't lower your fever or make you less contagious, you shouldn't act like you don't have a fever or aren't contagious this study makes me INSANE.

Okay done yelling.

I think this look at placebo in the midst of her article about reiki is really interesting because it's very common for CAM practitioners to claim that it's as effective as placebo - which just means that it's not effective. This is a great explanation from The Skeptic on why placebo isn't and can't be what Kaptchuk, Hall, and the like claim. It's also interesting to me that Kisner didn't choose to link to a 2011 New Yorker profile of Kaptchuk that is somewhat less rosy about his placebo studies and includes this absolutely crushing statement: "the placebo effect doesn’t appear to work with Alzheimer’s patients. Trivers suggests that this is because most people who have Alzheimer’s disease are unable to anticipate the future and are therefore unable to prepare for it."

But to the actual point of the ask: I honestly think it's fascinating how much CAM success probably rides on "well did you listen to the patient and pay attention to what was wrong with them and sympathize with them and help them lay out plan that made them feel like they had some agency in this exceptionally frustrating situation (chronic illness, newly diagnosed issue, totally undiagnosed issue) that they're dealing with?"

I know part of why people with chronic illnesses turn to CAM is because they're ignored and dismissed by allopathic practitioners who are largely looking for horses, not zebras - this is one of the reasons that I'm really big on reminding people that (at least in the US) DOs are fully licensed physicians who use a holistic and patient-centered approach so if you are someone with a chronic illness who has had trouble getting diagnosed or had trouble getting doctors to believe you, swapping your MD for a DO as a primary care physician might be really, really helpful to you.

But the flip side of that is that is that I worry deeply about the question of where harm starts; the example with your uncle is really great because you do have a solid instance of something working but for totally the wrong reason (pressure being the mechanism that actually helped, versus magnets being the reason given by the person who did the treatment). Some of this stuff has very little likelihood of causing direct harm, but has the distinct possibility of having indirect harms, which people in the anti-CAM space generally divide into two categories, treatment delay and unnecessary costs (opportunity costs, monetary costs, wasted effort, etc.)

I'm going to step outside of your specific example and look at magnet therapy generally, which really is a spectacular thing to focus on because it honestly doesn't have any direct harms; nobody is allergic to magnets, the kinds of magnets used aren't strong enough to interfere with medical devices, it's even safer than the whole "well herbalism is sometimes just a cup of tea" thing because there are "safe" teas that can do real harm to large populations! But simply being around magnets is not going to hurt anyone (unless they're swallowed; nobody swallow magnets please).

One of the things that I think goes under-discussed when talking about placebo and CAM is that the people trying the alternative solutions desperately WANT the alternative medicine to work (I suspect that this is why the self-selected study of reiki patients has such a significant finding). They are pulling for it; they may be looking at it as a last resort, or they may be hoping that it will work to avoid a treatment that is more frightening, expensive, or inaccessible. I think this actually contributes a lot to the delay of care that we see with CAM.

The absolute worst case harm I can imagine from magnetic therapy is delaying treatment. Let's suppose we've got a diabetic patient with gradually increasing peripheral neuropathy; they have reacted poorly to gabapentin in the past and are looking for something more natural, and they hear from their chiropractor that magnet therapy can be used to treat neuropathy. They buy some compression socks with "magnetic and earthing properties" and sleep in the socks. Whether through the compression controlling some edema or through the simple desire for the socks to work, they feel some relief from the nerve pain they were experiencing and decide that this is a success. The socks work! They continue wearing the socks with occasional pain, but less than before. However, because they are focused on the lack of pain, they don't notice that it's accompanied by increasing numbness. The numbness significantly increases their risk of injury to their feet, which significantly increases their risk of amputation.

It probably sounds like catastrophizing to say "using magnets could lead to amputation" but honestly I don't think it's that far out of the realm of possibility (every time I post on this topic I get flooded with the saddest stories in the world about people whose loved ones died because of delayed treatment for cancer or heart disease).

The second category of harm is cost, which is honestly pretty minimal with magnet therapy, as long as you aren't spending $1049 on a magnetic mat

or paying a chiropractor to give you magnetic treatments. For some other medically harmless treatments like reiki, cost is the thing that I worry about - while I was looking up information related to the article I found that people are charging anywhere from $60 to $225 a session, and selling multi-session packages for thousands of dollars - and if someone thinks that something works, even if it only works by being in a soothing space where someone cares about you - they'll pay for it.

I'm aware that all of this is also extra complicated because of the cost and lack of access to allopathic medicine - a chiropractor broke my spine because I could pay her $60 per appointment but I couldn't pay $125 to see an MD when I didn't have insurance. People who are sick are going to look for treatment; people who have been denied treatment or dismissed by doctors are going to look for alternative treatments.

But man, I really wish I'd spent that sixty bucks on half of a doctor's appointment because the chiropractor didn't know about the benign tumor that I had that weakened the structure of that particular bone when she did her adjustment; it also didn't make the pain go away, it made a different pain start and get worse because it turns out I was having debilitating muscle spasms that then had a bone injury added in on top.

(Chiropractic, for the record, goes with chelation therapy and many many many many cases of herbalism where it's NOT just cost or delay; people claim these treatments are harmless and they are not. They can do tremendous harm).

But yeah I'm not going to deny at all that all of this would be a hell of a lot better if people (especially marginalized people) didn't have to jump through hoops to prove to a doctor that something is wrong with them, and didn't have to do so in an appointment that attempts to cram whole person care down into fifteen minutes, and didn't have the possibility of bankrupting you. Interacting with allopathic medicine is a nightmare and I totally understand why people want to look outside of it for treatment.

I've just heard too many horror stories and seen too much predatory CAM to cut much of it any slack.

At the end of the SBM response to the Atlantic article, the author (I can't remember if it's Gorski or Novella) makes the point that reiki is a spiritual practice, and that we've known for a long time that spiritual practices can improve a person's well-being in a number of ways; they can reduce anxiety, they can provide community, they can give people a space to feel and express emotions that they certainly aren't going to be able to process in a doctor's office. Spiritual practices can be wonderful, and we know there are a lot of people who they can help. But they aren't medicine, and attempting to replace medicine with them (which I don't think that most reiki practitioners are trying to do, to be fair, but which Ted Kaptchuk DEFINITELY is in trying to 'harness the power of placebo') is a disservice to people who need an inhaler instead of acupuncture.

Also, and I know this was not your point but I have to bring it up because people ask about it whenever discussions of placebo come up:

The placebo effect is not treatment. The placebo effect, whether achieved through deception or when someone says loud and clear "this is a sugar pill" does not improve an illness, but it may improve how a patient *feels* about an illness. In some cases, this may as well be the same thing - if you're dealing with muscle pain because you're stressed and no matter what you do it doesn't go away because your shoulders are always up around your ears and you're grinding your teeth and you're sleeping poorly, then literally just talking to someone who is in an office and says "this is a sugar pill, go ahead and take it" may make your muscle pain feel better, but it isn't going to reduce your stress and it isn't going to last, and if your muscle pain is because you're feeling angina as a result of a partially blocked artery then it SURE AS FUCK is not going to make you better and may mask symptoms that were a warning sign of a much more serious problem. People who are sick deserve actual treatment, and placebo is not treatment, which is part of why Ted Kaptchuk makes me want to tear my hair out.

[leyavo]

TF141 x Spiritual!medic!reader

[masterlist]

Spiritual!medic!reader who believes in the universe and a source to guide her. Can find her doing breath work or meditating, yoga in the gym.

Spiritual!medic!reader who predicts a few outcomes and has Soap asking her about betting on football or the lotto numbers he could pick.

“I don’t know, the energy of this place is giving me a really a bad vibe right now.”

> “Ere we go lads,” Gaz says down the radio. “That’s just Soap.”

Spiritual!medic!reader who does reiki on Captain Price, his way of destressing after a particular rough mission. He was against it for ages till he later gave in.

Spiritual!medic!reader who teaches Ghost about somatic healing and stored trauma. The big hulk of the guy wondering why he’s crying.

Spiritual!medic!reader that has no business being in the TF141, she’s too nice and soft. Only for them to realise the gentlest of people are the most hurt. She’s stronger than she looks.

Spiritual!medic!reader who can read people better than anyone. Captain Price glancing to her each time they meet someone new as he can tell from her face what she’s thinking.

Spiritual!medic!reader who knows what natural plants to use when she’s in a stitch and doesn’t have her medic kit.

Spiritual!medic!reader who gives Price an amethyst crystal for his headaches and it stays in his office on his desk. His finger prodding it as he feels a headache creeping on whilst he’s filling out paper work.

Spiritual!medic!reader who also loves astrology and warns Gaz not give his birth time out to that one women asking him. But she does show him his birth chart in their free time. She’s seen Gaz reading his horoscope too, telling him to read for his rising sign instead of sun.

Spiritual!medic!reader trying to explain to the TF141 how their constant moaning is lowering their vibrations. Cue Soap making a dirty joke.

Spiritual!medic!reader who always looks for a sign and gets teased whenever the team are looking for a location or signpost.

>“You going to ask the universe?”

> “Ghost, don’t you’re lowering the vibrations.”

[martian-astro10]

D9/ Navamsa chart observations - Part 3

Jupiter in 9th is a great placement, even better if it's the 7th lord or darakaraka in d1. Your spouse will be intelligent. there's also a chance that you may do your master's or PhD after marriage. Your spouse can also have a job related to spirituality (one of my mom's friends has this placement and his wife is a reiki healer and also teaches meditation and hypnosis)

Jupiter in 10th is another really good placement. You and your spouse could start a business together, or you may meet them in your workplace. This is one of the placements that indicate that you'll earn more after marriage or once you start working WITH them (okay, so this example is interesting, i dont know how many of you know this, but there's an Indian company, dabur, and one of my relatives got married to the daughter of the brother of the guy who currently owns the company and let me tell you something, they are RICH RICH RICH, and like they helped my relative set up his own company and whenever we visit them, they give us such expensive gifts, you won't even find them anywhere, like custom made stuff) so if other factors support this, then you can get married into a super rich household

Venus conjunct ketu in 4th is a super common placement but I've noticed that it gives different results depending on what the ascendant is. A common prediction would be, that you guys will not get along with your spouse's family, you're gonna think that they waste too much money when they already have less of it. This is especially true for mother in law (I know a girl with this placement whose mother in law spends a lot on shopping and then asks for money from her, and she has to give in because divorce is not an option) i would recommend you guys to marry someone who doesn't have a mother 🥲

I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WITH MERCURY IN 8TH and it's so fascinating how it has the same exact effect on everyone. Okay, so this placement gives you 2 things, first, you'll gain a lot of money through joint accounts with your spouse, this could also be a marriage where you guys stay together just for money, a lot of celebrities have this placement. Second, your spouse is gonna hide things from you, like their salary (i know a woman with this placement and her husband was promoted and he told his wife that he was still doing the low pay job and he opened another account where he saved that extra money, while their family was having financial difficulties and stuff, it was a BIG deal)

Mercury in 11th is a nice placement, this could indicate a friends to lover type of story with your spouse. They could also be an extrovert, especially if mercury is in gemini. You guys will be focused on earning money but your whole focus won't be on money, like in 2nd or 8th house, it's gonna be more like "oh, this looks like a good idea, should we invest in this" kinda thing, i would say this is more like, both practical and romantic relationship

Moon in 8th..... Not exactly the best placement. Almost all the people that i know with this placement have been cheated on by their spouse, and again your spouse could hide things from you, but this time it's more emotional. Also, i have noticed that a lot of people with this placement marry someone who's in the closet, so their partner isn't affectionate and loving towards them and they think it's their fault but it's not, but it still ends up hurting them. You, yourself, could hide your feelings as well, and your spouse can see that and that's why they hide THEIR emotions, it's like a cycle. (if you have this, i would recommend you guys to go to therapy, heal your trauma and only then get into a serious relationship and sometimes you push your feelings down and you think you're over it, but you're not)

Mars in 8th can give very different results, but it does give you a spouse who is very sexual (and believe me, it's not always a good thing). If Mars is strong then it gives extremely good results, the ability to defeat your enemies and win, i know a person with this placement and she's a woman and people around her have always tried to ruin her life and she still managed to get up and is now living a great life. But if Mars is weak or worse, debilitated, then it can give an aggressive spouse, i know a person but i dont think i should share her story with you all, but if Mars is weak then... Don't marry. BUT if 7th lord and darakaraka of d1 is SUPER STRONG in d9 then go ahead.

Venus in 2nd is like okay okay, not bad but not good. I feel like this placement works better when it's in the cart of a man rather than a woman. The spouse will be good but will be more focused on earning money, even if they're already rich. From what I've seen, men are okay with wives like that, but women aren't, they need emotional security so being with a man who is focused on money makes them sad and lonely, whereas, men with this placement are more than happy to get wives like that, In MY opinion.

Sun conjunct ketu in 11th is another placement that is common, I know a lot of people with this. So, you will gain wealth but it's going to come very slowly, the type to MAKE generational wealth but not able to enjoy it. Also, i have noticed that these people always end up marrying someone who is in a lower position than them, career wise and so they support their spouse and at the same time take most of the financial responsibility of the family.

Ketu in 8th is SUCH a strong indicator of having a kid before marriage, or atleast getting pregnant. All the celebrities who've had a kid before marriage have this placement, Angelina Jolie and Shakira are two that i currently remember but I've seen it in the charts of a lot more. And listen, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS, OKAY.

© martian-astro All rights reserved, 2024

[creature-wizard]

Someone once asked me how I use psychology in my witchcraft, and I never got around to answering it. So I figured I should do that.

The basic answer is that I ask myself, "does this take advantage of something we know about how the human mind works; or might it have psychologically unhealthy consequences?"

For example, I remember reading somewhere that washing up can make people feel as if they've been emotionally or spiritually cleansed. So if someone asks how they can move past a bad point in their life, I'm probably going to recommend some kind of bath or shower ritual.

I also know that our subconscious minds process information and often come to fairly reasonable conclusions without our even realizing it. So if someone's having difficulty making a choice even after doing the best possible research they can, or where there's just no objectively "best" choice, I might suggest using a pendulum to sort it out.

I know that the brain tends to internalize repeated information, so I'm down with healthy affirmations.

I know that people respond to symbols, both consciously and subconsciously. So if someone wanted to feel more confident, I see no reason why creating a spell jar full of things associated with confidence wouldn't provide some benefit if they kept it in a visible place.

I know that energy healing practices can at the very least help people relax. While I would never, ever suggest that someone pays huge amounts of money or uses energy healing in place of evidence-based medicine (never use anything to replace evidence-based medicine), I'm down for using the techniques on yourself or on your friends, or watching ASMR reiki videos on YouTube.

And on the other hand, I don't really put much stock in spells or practices that target an unaware third party. For example, I don't think death or misfortune curses are especially likely to work. I also think that in some cases, they might just reinforce a fixation on revenge that actually hinders the caster's path to emotional healing and finding healthy coping mechanisms.

So yeah, that about sums up how I view magic though a psychological paradigm - I ask myself how a technique might take advantage of something we know about the human mind, and whether it might have psychologically unhealthy consequences.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Min Yoongi Perspective Reading

Disclaimer: No facts, all alleged. This is my interpretation of the cards and messages I get.

Finally getting to the last member of BTS. And that final member is Yoongi. I needed to put him last as his energy can be hard to work with at times, so it will be interesting to see what he shows me here. He kind of gives me that tortured soul vibe as some idols do, so let's take a look. The song choice he gives me is Sara Bareilles's Brave

You can be amazing You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug You can be the outcast Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love Or you can start speaking up

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do And they settle 'neath your skin Kept on the inside and no sunlight Sometimes a shadow wins But I wonder what would happen if you

Alright, just going to dive in here. The first thing I get is reconciling with himself. He is trying to learn who he really is. Looking at is this the path he should have taken. Is this who he is as a person. I am hearing, a state of paranoia. He may try to find the strength to fight back and speak his truth.

It seems he may want to wreak havoc and cause a stir and maybe problems. I think he may do this to bring light to things. He seems he kind of wants chaos in a sense. I just think back to that reading with Taehyung and how he wants to fight back and cause a stir, but Taehyung doesn't want a part of it. He may feel this is the only way for things to change.

He feels caged in, boxed in, he may be tired of fitting a mold and image. That may not be truly what he is. It is like has to fit this perfectly curated image and he may not like that. Through it all he tries to find peace with things, or he does things to find peace. He may find ways to numb himself out. Or he tries to show off a peaceful image through all the chaos around him.

He just seems to struggle with his identity and the sense of who he is as a whole. I heard splintered soul, so he may have two different identities, he can be kind and warm, but can also be ruthless and heartless as well. You won't know for sure which Yoongi you will get until you get it. But yeah, I can see him having a nasty side.

It seems like he is tied to some kind of past life karma I am getting. This may be affecting or is affecting his life now. There are lessons he needs to untangle and clear away. I am not sure he is aware of these lessons he needs to learn, but there are cycles he may need to break and things he may need to heal in this lifetime. I can also see his past follows him and what he done in the past follows him.

I feel he may have done some shit, and he may be paying that back with karma. He may also have some people after him to. I get that sense as well. Not sure he would do this, but it would behoove him to do a past life regression to see where this all ties in from his past.

So, I get the cards secret and memory, so there are memories from his past that he keeps hidden and secret. Somethings he will keep to himself. I hear keep to the grave; it reminds me of what I heard from Yeonjun's reading. Yeah, he is keeping that on lockdown. He isn't sharing that at all. He seems fearless on taking on opportunities or getting to where he needs to be.

He kind of gives me he doesn't have much of a moral compass or didn't in the past. And there isn't much that is sacred and valuable to him. He is someone who wants to be powerful and take on some sort of leadership role. He may charm his way to do this. I am seeing that he may do reiki, not sure why that is popping up, but he does help with anxiety, so that makes sense.

He's got a lot of different energies going on here. He is quite all over the place. He tries to explore new things and step outside the box with things. He is an intense individual, wanting to go to the depths and could be interested in taboo things. He is a curious individual, who engages and wants to learn about things in life. Making connections are pretty important to him. And back and forth communication is important to him.

He likes to shine and show his art to shine. This man does like being in the spotlight and having the center stage or being on stage. It boosts his ego to be in the spotlight. I see an energy of him being meticulous about things and if he works things have to be perfect and run smoothly. Having things in order or the details of things mean a lot to him. So, I can see him doing things over and over again.

So, he gets the Emperor, so yeah, just heard control freak. Umm, things really needing to be in order for him. He seems like a very meticulous person. He seems to struggle with his emotions and represses it a lot. He could deal with depression allegedly. Also, once again having secrets as well. Also, he has pretty low energy, so it could be hard for him to be upbeat. I also don't see him being as positive of a person, or struggles to be positive about things.

We end with Capricorn energy, this shows someone ambitious, about the money and his career and work. He can be a bit selfish about things. I can see a sensitive nature to him, but he can also be very honest and brash and very direct with his words. I just a lot of cold energy from him and very little emotions, which I don't like to see.

Umm yeah, this one was hard. I struggled with this energy. His energy isn't that great *sighs* I wanted to have more positive things here as I try to show all aspects, the light and the dark, but it was hard to find the good here unfortunately. He seems pretty broken and dark overall. So, here it is.

[ark-inkweaving]

Hey Azzy, happy belated WBW! Can you tell us a bit about how the magic in IDWTN fits into modern day to day life? Can magic work with tech, or does tech break around magic? What is your personal favourite bit of modern magic?

hi hi hi Jas, wonderful question, i'm about to go feral

i have a lot of gripes with some fantasy tropes but one i hate is the "magic and tech can't work together" THE FUCK YOU MEAN THEY CAN'T

because you see, a lot of the time this insurmountable irreparable inconceivable divide between magic and technology is either unexplained or worse, hypocritical. because if you have magic that doesn't work with tech because of things like cold iron and metals and nasty nasty processed stones then you can't have magical metals like mithril and adamantium

like, i get it from a writer's pov. not everyone wants to go down a rabbithole on how different engines work so they can make a motorbike that runs on mana. however, i do! so Aleji's bike runs entirely on mana and Ike's is a hybrid unleaded-mana because we are ecologically aware here, and i dare any car/bike dudebro to ask me how it works, i will pull out the diagrams

(sidenote, Aleji and Ike together would be a force to be reckoned with)

now after my little rant, let's get into why magic works with tech in my world (aside from personal preference) and how

tldr. magic is a science and runes are fucking awesome

i. am a technician at heart. i love advanced physics and calculus and analysis and all my little studies and estimations and approximations and models. i find it so satisfying when different parts of how we know and study the universe click together with mathematical precision. big fan

so that's where i started. from where maths and physics perfectly meet and click: electromagnetism. now this is gonna get a little bit technical but stick with me

magic starts at a really small scale with the mianirs: quantum-scale particles that — like electrons, photons and most subatomic particles — behave like both mass and wave and thus collapse classical physics

i'm not gonna bore you with how many quarks and which ones they're made of. suffice to say that there are two of them: mions and vions, both with neutral electrical charge but mions have a positive mana charge and vions have a negative one

mianirs can be stored in a neutral mana charge, but if there is a charge difference then the mions will move toward the negative charge (as opposed to the electricity where electrons move toward the positive charge). this flow of mions is what results into magic

mianirs can also do one other thing, which is micro-vibrate around their position. the combination of vibration frequency and particle wavelength gives you the different elemental resonances!

and then if the frequency is zero and the mianirs don't vibrate, then the mana and its magic are clear. but if the frequency is over a certain limit then it fucks up the wavelength, which makes mions and vions collapse on each other, which collapses the atom and now you have corrupted mana with no fucking wavelength, just vibration, which is really close to the no wavelength-no vibration mana of the Void. which is really fun, because now the Void creatures only need to reach that vibration frequency (much easier as a fucking mass) to get inside the Realm and start collapsing atoms!

i love the Void :D

suffice to say, quantum magic and magical physics are big areas of research right now all over Ona, Nodi, Pi'Enk, Reiki and Izerko, plus godsdamned Hålsvarþur

now that we're over the technicalities, the juicy part: magic and technology work together because they're both based on sciences. the magical properties of objects and living beings can be measured and classified.

magic is an art and a science. it can be enhanced and stabilized through physical, visual and vocal means, but at its base it works because there is a mana field to take advantage of. somewhere on a notebook or another is still have some half-assed equations and laws for it, because i am exactly the kind of nerd that finds name-dropping the "Faltan-Huss law of mana conservation" is extremely funny. but that's an aside, and the mana field works regardless of them both to do magic and to interact with electricity. because to have a mana field you need a mana potential, which means mana is an energy and if it's an energy then it can always be converted into work and heat, which you can use to spin a turbine to generate clean renewable electricity

on a more everyday scale, magic works by a combination of mana resonance and mana path to achieve different effects, but certain mana paths can still the resonance into clear mana. so all that you really need is a mana path that holds as long as you want your spell to last. how do you get that?

for instanteus / short term magic, spellcasting and mana manipulation work well. both use body movement to create the path, and then spellcasting uses voice projection methods to enhance it while mana manipulation (through hours meditation and training) stabilizes the external path at mana-field level

on the longer term, you're looking more at arrays and sigils, potions, spellweaving and runes. these ones work by visually and physically creating mana paths and / or taking advantage of the magical properties of things. they require a lot of studying, but they are extremely versatile, durable and stable, and so these are the ones that usually get industrialized / integrated into technology

couple of examples for you

in Revolve we have Ele, completely human character with a mana core too small to do magic. instead she's an artificer. a "trademark" of hers are these blast-bombs she made at home. they're as big as a tennis ball, and they work like this: the metal ball is cave, with three compartments inside separated with a soft plastic. one compartment has vinegar, one has water and baking soda and the third as a little bit of quartz powder. when the ball is thrown, the internal separator shatters, the vinegar and water+baking soda react chemically and generate a mana charge, which gets amplified by the quartz powder, which hits a rune carved into the outer shell, which explodes with the kind of magic the rune directs it into. she used zero mana of her own to create something that really really hurts

another example is the modified denim i was telling you about that is used by the Harbingers for protective wear. it works more on a spellweaving technique, with mianirs being physically threaded into the fabric

spellweaving also works on a shorter term by threading the mianirs through the air and holding the path. this one is actually a technique that Ike and his dad for diagnostic spells that need to last anywhere between ten minutes to an hour, or for shields and temporary enhancers

also, runes. runes are by far the best. they are extremely durable and stable, they can be compounded onto a single objects (or living creature!) and into sigils or arrays that draw the mana into the desired effect. which is why they are the most ancient and widespread for of magic after elemental

there are seventeen runic systems in Navilee only, with one more from Izerko, three from Ferive, seven or eight from Zimuria plus however many the fuck there are on Earth

runes are deeply favored as a form of magic by the Harbingers, who — madlads that they are — have managed to get their hands on, preserve and learn two sistems from Ferive, five from Zimuria, eleven from Navilee and all the ones from Earth, plus! two that close to no one else knows

listen to me here, Harbingers got their hands on Ademaric and Archaic runes. these are runic systems that people all over Izerko and Navilee are frothing at the mouth to find traces of. they are respectively the runic system of the great empire that was destroyed in the War of Arcana and the runic system that the Great Forces developed to stabylize the edges of the Realms before the Livi existed

would you like to know how many other people have access to information about these runic systems? four on Izerko. one on Navilee

that's it. and they have only recently started to crack the information and be able to understand the systems

(as an aside, two of these people are Aleji and Reyenn and honestly, if those three ever meet it's gonna be a holy trio of "lmao what is gender", "i love my partner(s)" and caffeine-fueled magical research. it makes me eye the potential sequel more and more)

but the Harbingers? they've been working with those systems since before they were an organization. they have centuries of experience with both of those runic systems. their most used runic system is literally a modernized version of the Ademaric system

they put them on clothes to make the clothes resistant. they put them on themselves (rune tattoos my beloved) to make themselves stronger. they put them on the back of their phones to generate noiseless bubbles. on the cars to make them safer to drive in bad weather. on jewelry for protection. on houses for protectionon entrances to hide them and lock them. someone out there is experimenting with runes on pet collars to make animals capable of human comunication

so Harbingers (but not only) love runes and spellweaving and potions. so do many people in Izerko and Navilee. they require a lot of study, practice, technicism and some decent math skills to integrate with technology, but they are so so worth it

but also, technomages that use lightning resonances to mimic electrons and fuck up your currents and signals and hack into your security systems. technomagic is illegal in Reiki, Pi'Enk, Ona, Nodi, Zet, Fyma, Uyla, Ekre Kas'Ti, and a few more. this does not stop people like Dajsper

❊

✵ Revolve Taglist ✵

@corinneglass @aalinaaaaaa @write-with-will @mymomsaysbobcipher @writeintrees @firesidefantasy @inspirationallybored

⛧ In Destiny We Trust (Not) Taglist ⛧

@elkieselkiewrites @wildweeds @mymomsaysbobcipher

[kakiastro]

Neptune Pisces 29°

Pisces rules over Jellyfish

I don’t see too many astrologers talking about this transit.

Neptune has been at the 29° and this signifies we are truly at end of an era!

Neptune entered Pisces in 2011 and will leave next year in 2025.

Neptune represents the collective subconscious, spirituality, creative downloads, isolation, the ocean, our mental health, hospitals

29°(Leo degree) is known “anaretic degree” this degree rules over ending of cycles. This leo shines light on what we are finishing up learning.

So what does this mean a a collective?

-oh hunny we are healing! We as a collective have been dealing with serious discussions regarding mental health. People have become more open about it now compared to past generations.

-addictions of all kinds has also been a huge topic these last 14 years! We’ve seen/heard or even know people are working to become sober, have been sober or struggling with it.

-hospital stays, the pandemic literally happened during this transit. Pisces rules over immune diseases and mucus. Isolation, we were quarantined and isolated from the people. Pisces rules over isolation.

-the ocean! Chile.. the orcas. Billionaires passing away in the ocean trying to see the titanic and there’s a new cruise ship that’s set to embark next year. There’s been recalls on fish, heavy rain falls.

-spirituality! Astrology has become mainstream and somewhat normalized especially in the Pluto Sag generation. Even if you’re not into astrology, I’ve seen people become reiki healers, holistic healers. With Uranus being in Taurus, natural healing remedies are popular. Spiritual retreats or just vacationing near water destinations have been popular

-scams! With spirituality becoming mainstream, here comes the cons and frauds. Pisces rules over frauds. Not just in the spiritual community but in a religious communities. With Saturn in Pisces , so much corruption has been brought to light. “Are you in this to enlighten the masses or your pockets?” This is the question that Saturn is checking to see. With Neptune at 29°, this is what we are ending and clearing.

You know what else I’ve noticed? So many spiritual folks leaving and joining religion such as Christianity being the biggest one I’ve noticed. This is interesting because Pisces is connected to Christianity, it’s said Yeshua(Jesus) is connected to Pisces. I’ve also noticed the other side of this where religious people are becoming more spiritual. It’s been an interesting phenomenon to witness as an astrologer and connecting the dots!

-the afterlife! Pisces rules the spirit realm, so many people are embracing there spiritual gifts, even the non believers are starting to believe in something that’s bigger than themselves. Past lives! More people are becoming fascinated with reincarnation and who they might’ve been in past lives. Pisces rules over past lives

-the truth! Chile..what is the truth??? Everyone has their own version of it and reality is somewhere in lost in the sauce, where all just winging it hoping for the best. That’s Pisces energy! Timelines is a huge topic, what timeline are you on? Pisces doesn’t have time because it’s boundless. It’s the void and smoke and mirrors lol

-celebrity! Chile…. The topic of celebrity worship has become a huge topic of discussion and how unhealthy it is. Chapelle Roan is the recent celebrity that’s setting boundaries with fans, I believe she’s a Pisces too lol. Pisces rules over glamour and idols. Hollywood is a Sun 12h(Pisces house). Celebs are people who bleed, eat and shit like us. They just have nicer toilets than us 🤪. I don’t think it’ll ever go away because celebrity worship have been around forever but we are more self aware at how unhealthy it is!!! Also, think of the celebs who have talked about how tough the industry really is.

These are just some of the themes and topics I’ve seen the last 14 years , even more so in the last few lol.

Neptune enters Aries March 30 , 2025 and will stay until 2039! The energy flip is going to be crazy! Pisces is a heavy water sign, so that’s why the energy feels like the your trying to swim through a 100 foot wave lol. Baby that Aries energy is going to be coming in like a wild fire!!

Look up the song “ante up” by M.o.p. That’s the vibe lol. I’ll make another post on Neptune Aries at another date’

Now for you personally, the house Pisces rules in your chart is your own individual story with this transit. Think of it as your own book.

Neptune rules over fantasy, what was theme of your story, who was the side characters that helped you on your mission? What did you learn on your quest? Neptune is the start of your new book and new story.

I’m open for readings! Have a beautiful day y’all!!!

[aquamarine-v]

Cure Vol.201 - キズ KIZU feature (April 2020)

“I always thought that this world is hell.”

Kizu is set to release their latest single, "Jigoku" (Hell) on April 28. Previously, Lime mentioned that after releasing Kuroi Ame, he felt that he had "said everything he wanted to say." So, what led to the creation of this new song? We asked them about their thoughts at this moment.

For the members' safety, this interview was conducted online. Interview by— Atsuhiko Kamiya

Lime: Hello, hello! Is this your first online interview? This is the future of work, huh.

Yue: How do I turn the camera on?

Reiki: Am I visible?

Kyonosuke: Yeah, we can see you!

Interviewer: Let’s begin. You’re releasing "Jigoku" (Hell) at a time when the world itself feels like hell.

Lime: I never imagined things would turn out like this. The title was decided around December. But maybe because of the timing, there’s something about Jigoku that resonates even more now.

Reiki: Kizu hasn't changed at all. Though, I did move and basically became homeless for a while.

Yue: I've been working out, and my shoulders got bigger.

Kyonosuke: The only real change for me is that it’s harder to go to the studio for practice. But safety comes first now.

Lime: Alright, let’s talk about the song! (laughs) This time, I went back to the way I used to make music. No, wait, what does "went back" even mean? More like, I tried to return to the basics… No, that’s not it. Ugh, thinking from home makes my head even more messed up than usual (laughs).

Reiki: When Lime sent me the demo for Jigoku, I felt like "he wasn't thinking about anything at all."

Lime: That’s it.

Reiki: Not in the sense that he made it carelessly, but it felt like the sensibility of the empty Lime had come through. It shows his aggressive attitude, purely concentrated into a song.

Interviewer: Why did you feel "empty"?

Lime: After releasing Kuroi Ame, I really felt like I had said everything I wanted to say.

Interviewer: You once said, "I feel like Kizu was formed just to create this song."

Lime: Yeah, exactly. But then I realized, "Wait, I still have more to say." I’ve always thought that this world is hell. That feeling was the starting point for Jigoku.

Interviewer: So the world as you see it became the song?

Lime: That’s the only thing I can turn into music. There are so many different music genres out there, but I feel like the only thing I’m capable of expressing is negative emotions toward society. Every song I create always comes from that place. Jigoku was built entirely from negative emotions.

Interviewer: In the past, you’ve said, "Once I’ve said everything, I’ll quit the band without hesitation."

Lime: No, I can’t quit now. I don’t even think about quitting. In fact, in this current situation—where we can’t even perform live and band members are being frowned upon—it’s precisely because we live in a society like this that I feel even more driven to be active.

Interviewer: When you're told "You can't perform live," it just makes you want to do it more?

Lime: It's rock ’n’ roll to stay true to yourself, even under oppression, right? Of course, we’re cooperating with social restrictions. But you shouldn't bend your own heart, right? The lyrics of Jigoku are nothing but my true, raw feelings. That said, I feel like I discovered a new creative direction in the B-side tracks.

Reiki: Yeah, your lyric-writing style has changed. Especially in Mr. BIG MONSTER.

Lime: Honestly, people might only understand about 20-30% of it. (laughs) But that’s where I found my place.

Yue: It’s like you discovered a new version of yourself.

Kyonosuke: The words are lined up in a strange way, aren't they?

Lime: Yeah, and in a way, I started to see that as a form of art. Up until now, my lyrics were always message-driven, but I started wanting to add a layer of artistry, too. I mean, it might sound a bit "out of this world" (laughs) But that’s just the kind of person I am.

Interviewer: So you are someone who’s hard to understand?

Lime: Right. That’s why I used to try and explain myself carefully through lyrics. But... I stopped.

Interviewer: That’s a big change.

Lime: That was also because of Kuroi Ame. I couldn't think of any message for society beyond that song. So, I thought I’d shift towards lyrics that feel artistic instead.

Reiki: I really love Mr. BIG MONSTER. Especially the way it starts— "Teihen yokubou ÷ arukooru dosuu" (Bottom tier x desire ÷ alcohol content). I like how you stacked words with similar sounds, but they still connect meaningfully.

Interviewer: And the part where it says 'The irrationality you hate—fly' and 'Devouring loneliness'.

Reiki: Yeah, exactly. When I first heard the rough version, it kind of reminded me of Indian or traditional folk music.

Kyonosuke: Yeah, it definitely has a bit of a foreign vibe to it.

Yue: The line "Let’s wash it away with a plutonium shower" really hits hard.

Lime: That’s from Jakusha no Koushin. (laughs)

Yue: That (laughs).

Lime: Jakusha no Koshin (March of the Weak) is a song where we, the weak, say things that we, the weak, do.

Interviewer: Who are the "weak" that you're referring to?

Lime: Us band members—we're socially weak. Think about the current state of society. We pay taxes and contribute to society in our own way, just like other jobs, right? But when it comes to cultural work like ours, there’s no financial support. The struggle we’ve always felt has only gotten worse. … Though, if I keep talking like this, this will turn into a really bad interview (laughs). Anyway, this song is packed with punchy words. That’s all.

Interviewer: That was quite a rough summary. (laughs)

Lime: I’ll be honest—there are parts of this I don’t really want to touch on! So just read the lyrics!

Everyone: Hahaha (laughs).

Kyonosuke: Are you sure that’s okay? (laughs)

Lime: I don’t want to explain it in words—that’s why I put it into the song. So yeah, it’s fine.

Yue: That’s Lime’s strength. If you say it in plain words, people will start analyzing and criticizing, but when it’s in a song, it's more persuasive.

Interviewer: The lyrics are intense, but at the same time, I can imagine things getting chaotic at a live show.

Lime: I want the weak to come together and have a live show in our own way. Once society settles down, I want to do a “March of the Weak.”

Reiki: How about a “March of the Weak Fest��? This song has a circus image to me. And a circus is a gathering of all kinds of people, isn’t it?

Interviewer: A circus? Like with clowns and animals?

Reiki: Right. Would you call this a dance tune? The arrangement was done with a circus-like atmosphere in mind. It’s like a show where each member shows off their specialty. And that chaotic, unpredictable circus atmosphere feels very Kizu.

Interviewer: Would you say this is a type of song Kizu hasn’t really done before?

Reiki: Yeah, we haven’t! Originally, Lime said he wanted to play a song like Jakusha no Koushin live.

Lime: Yeah. I just wanted to leave behind a song that packed more of a punch than the previous ones. That’s all.

Reiki: Jakusha no Koushin and Mr. BIG MONSTER both have fresh new sounds. Not that anyone cares.

Yue: That’s not true at all! (laughs)

Reiki: You think so? (laughs) We’re using distortion on electric guitar and Lime’s vocals. It would be amazing to play it live.

Interviewer: The drums also have a sound that really fits the idea of a "march," don’t they?

Kyonosuke: Yeah, especially the way the rhythm flows and how the snare comes in at the beginning. The steady quarter-note beat throughout really matches the title. When I first heard the song and later found out it was called "March of the Weak", it just made perfect sense.

Yue: As for the bass, I’m actually recording it today. I try not to imagine anything specific while playing. If I think too much about it as a “marching song,” I end up hearing “Turkish March” in my head (laughs).

Interviewer: That one is pretty famous.

Yue: Right. That’s why I try not to visualize anything—I just want to play “March of the Weak” as it is.

Reiki: And then there’s "15.2". This one's my favorite out of the four songs.

Lime: The only lyrics are basically just "Soredemo" ("Even so").

Reiki: Come on, it’s not just that. (laughs) It’s the simplest song, but also the most complete. Artists turn their emotions and state of mind into sound, right? I feel like this song captures something really raw and unfiltered. It kind of reminds me of everyday life.

Interviewer: You get a sense of life from "15.2"?

Reiki: Yeah. Most songs are around three to four minutes long, and before you know it, they’re over. But in “15.2,” there are breaks, clear contrasts between soft and intense moments, it feels like the flow of a day, from beginning to end.

Interviewer: The pauses in the song are quite striking, aren’t they?

Reiki: It's exciting. I love it so much I’d probably just put in my earphones and listen to it on repeat without thinking.

Kyonosuke: When I first saw the title, I thought it might be a continuation of "15"(十五Juugo), like a song capturing Lime’s thoughts from back then. With "Jakusha no Koushin", the marching image stays throughout the entire song, but with “15.2,” what you imagine changes depending on which part you’re listening to.

Yue: Even from the very first demo, I could picture us performing it live. I imagined the fans quietly listening, deeply immersed in the song. The bass feels like it’ll be really satisfying to play, too.

Interviewer: Which part feels particularly good to play?

Yue: The beat in the chorus is something completely new for Kizu. I play the bass in sync with the drums that are driving that beat, and I personally love that part.

Lime: With "15.2", I wanted to bring closure to what I sang about experiencing at 15 years old in "15".

Interviewer: The lyrics are also very straightforward.

Lime: Yeah, after writing this song, I finally felt like, Okay, I can put that chapter behind me. Truly painful experiences take time before they can be turned into a song. If you’d asked when I was 15 if I could write about what happened back then, there’s no way I could have.

Yue: You need some distance from it.

Lime: Yeah, it took time. I thought about it a lot, but in the end, the line in the chorus—"Soredemo kimi wa kirei da" (Even so, you are beautiful)—conveys what I wanted to express.

Interviewer: "15.2" isn’t like the other three songs. The lyrics feel like a letter.

Lime: That’s true. It turned into something like a cry from the heart. The order in which I wrote these songs was Jigoku, 15.2, Jakusha no Koushin, and then Mr. BIG MONSTER. After Kuroi Ame left me feeling empty, the final destination of this single was Mr. BIG MONSTER. Until now, my singing style has been pretty much the same, but with these four songs, every vocal approach is different. Mr. BIG MONSTER is the biggest change.

Interviewer: The world each song evokes is completely different, too.

Lime: Yeah, both my singing style and lyrics have changed. Everything leads to Mr. BIG MONSTER, and I envision a future where the next work is a more refined version of that.

◆　　　◆　　　◆

[ghostcrows]

I juuuust think you have to be careful how you criticize medication lest ye drive people into the arms of their nearest Holistic Reiki Crystal Healer

it's more about the system that doesn't gaf about your mental health to begin with and the haphazard way the medication is handled by psychs. Cause we already know this shit can and does actually help people it's just tricky to find what does and its like any other medication sometimes the side effects are worse than what they're trying to mediate...and then you have these wards where they'll just put you on 200 mg of whatever the fuck against your will and that's where it gets really twisted...

Its actually fairly common though for the stigma to be against psychiatric medication and not for it. As a teenager I was the one who pushed for meds and everyone in my life was hesitant and tried talking me out of it, and at the time I saw that as them refusing me a potential avenue of getting help. Because I had the informed consent to whatever extent though I don't regret the attempt even if it didn't quite work out. So it just depends

[agencyagencyagency]

BHP hire us for a Christmas Session Pack (5x consultation sessions with the core magicians).

Session 1 we imagine what seeing a ghost would be like, to see a ghost that isnt a media representation of an era, for example a woman from the 1940s the way media has documented that they looked and acted, instead how an actual person in 1940 is, how they smell, how a face that's never seen concentrated blue-light appears to our eye, pre-media apparition. Whats the vibration of non-synthetic fabric like when draped on flesh that's never touched synthetic fabric?

Session 2 we pretend to be Aboriginals experiencing First Contact with a plane in the sky, in country South Australia. We are PANICKED and racing to find a tree to hide under and also experiencing an insane pull to watch and monitor the sound and structure threatening us. We let our physiology really take this one. Maybe we go raw camping and have a vintage bi-plane fly over to experience it for real? We have been educated by an Elder on how to camp in the conditions of the region, and how camp life may have been in the time we are embodying for the exercise.

Session 3 we pretend to be Aboriginal Australian's experiencing stories of First Contact from another tribe. Two of us are the delegates to receive the information from the other mob first. We don't know what we are about to hear. We may or may not have a framework to experience this through. Then the two leaders discuss amongst themselves how to best convey this information to the rest of the family. Then we are the family hearing this information for the first time and reacting instinctually, feeling. Immediately, emotionally, riddled with cortisol, we formulate a plan on what to do, how to process this New Experience, what now?

Session 4 Phase One: we gather at Highpoint and make crazy scary eyes at Shoppers. Paranoid schizophrenia. We are doing improv based around the idea that shoppers are under trance and need to associate their actions with threat and fear, in an attempt to wake them up. Perhaps we have had a few lectures on Charles Manson and Jonestown (The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project) in preparation for this spiritual mission. Phase Two: We do the same but sending the shoppers loving perception, knowing that they are victims in a trance, we try to perceive them in a way that breaks the trance lovingly, with compassion and understanding. We have probably taken showers, changed outfits, and have cleared the prior energy. We probably have take Reiki and K-PSYCH courses in preparation and are coming to this exercise as Reiki Masters and reasonably versed in Kinesiology.

Session 5 we meet at sunrise at the corner of Elizabeth and Flinders Street (where we have asked BHP to relocate an adult sized mature gumtree) and burn the gumtree. Agency Agency does a lot of work at this location.

[kazimakuwabara]

Banter

Summary: Team Urameshi gets into a bit of trouble, and do what they do best. Argue. And while it may look like all the team does is argue, enemies should beware that if they truly try to threaten one of their own... well they'll find out what else Team Urameshi is good at. (2k+, drama, friendship, hurt/comfort)

***

"I would like to get out of the cage, now!"

"We're trying to get to you!"

"Try harder!"

"Kuwabara, Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

Kuwabara kicked his feet against the blackened bars of the cage he was currently huddled in. It was not a very big cage, with only enough room for Kuwabara to sit or lay down. The cage didn't seem very strong either, with its deceptively thin bars, and wide gaps. But since being forced into the damned thing, Kazuma Kuwabara had become sluggish. He can't feel his own Reiki, let alone his friends, engaged in battle several yards away. He also can't sense the strength of the demon, who is lying atop Kuwabara's cage like a stretched out cat, lazily watching Kuwabara's friends fight off his hoard of cronies.

"You all fight so well... are you sure you don't want to come work for me?" the red-skinned demon asked, a forked tail lazily swishing behind him as he watched Hiei cleave someone in half.

"Not interested!" Yusuke snaps. He points a finger at the demon, "You just wait until I get over there, bud! I'm gonna rip your tail off and strangle you with it until your head pops off!"

"My, how exciting!" The demon giggles, flashing a fanged smile. He rolls on his stomach and reached a hand through the bars of the cage, stroking long thin fingers through Kuwabara's mussed hair, "Your friends are so amusing."

"Quit touching me!" Kuwabara yowls, flopping onto his back in an effort to get away from the demon's fingers.

Kuwabara's resistance only seemed to further amuse the demon, who shifted his full attention to the frustrated man. Sticking both arms in the cage, the demon tried to find purchase against Kuwabara's body, the weakened human swatting the searching hands with what must have been the strength of a child against an adult.

"Keep off me, creep show!" Kuwabara yowled, hissing as the demon caught his cheek between his thumb and index finger, giving it a little playful pinch.

"Guys! Can you hurry it up?! This dude's weird!" Kuwabara shouted, squawking as the demon moved from his cheek, to tweak his nose, "Cut it out!"

"Why don't you get your own human?" Hiei calls out as he rips his bloodied sword out of an enemy's stomach, and through another one's throat.

"Yes, that one is ours!" Kurama agrees, voice laced with deep irritation.

"I am not a pet!" Kuwabara shouts out, swearing as his amused captor traces a claw down the shell of his ear.

"Well, you're either our pet or his pet! You better pick one, Kuwabara!" Yusuke snaps, firing a shot-gun blast of energy into the final wave of enemies.

"Yeah, how about, I'm no one's pet? How about, I'm your friend and teammate-How about that!?" Kuwabara shouts kicking his feet against the top of the cage, the demon, still lounging atop his cage, laughing at his efforts.

"Really if I had time to take you all home with me, I would. All of you are so delightful," the red-skinned demon simpered, "But I'm not looking for a group of comedians. It's getting time for me to go."

Rolling off the cage, the demon landed gracefully and silently on the ground. A fresh wave of enemies crowded around Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei, clearly redoubling their efforts to keep Kuwabara's friends at bay. With his palms pressed against carved-out runes in the cavern wall, the red-skinned demon muttered a series of strange words. He removed his hands as the runes slowly started to light up, and that light began to form what appeared to be a doorway. Smiling over his shoulder, the demon announced, "Well, I'll be going soon. Kuwabara, we have about three minutes before the gateway opens."

"Oh my God, this guy is taking me to his home to be his fucking house cat!" Kuwabara moaned, banging his face repeatedly against the bars in protest.

"Kazuma, don't do that. You're going to hurt your head, and we really might need you at your best!" Kurama called out to him, struggling against three hulking demons who were trying to press him back.

"Bye Kuwabara, it's not been a pleasure. But I did know you," Hiei calls out, grinning with his own amusement.

"This is fucking endless!" Yusuke shouted, not taking part in teasing Kuwabara. A bit of real panic was starting to set in at the sheer number of foes keeping him separated from his best friend.

Kuwabara took a breath to shout something else out at his team when the demon appears in front of the cage in a low squat. Quicker than he had before, his hand reached through the bars of the strange cage and caught Kuwabara by the throat. Kuwabara made a garbled choking sound and glared into the face of the enemy who'd caught him.

"B-Bastard!" Kuwabara eventually managed, defiance burning in his eyes.

"I'm not taking you to be a house cat," the demon purred, his forked tail lazily swishing behind him in steady sweeps. "I'm going to give you a much higher position than that. I'll be adding you my harem."

Kuwabara choked, trying to pull away from the hand that kept a steady grip on his throat, "Your... what?"

The demon's tail swished faster, "My harem. You're quite interesting... such a strong human with incredible spiritual awareness. And what a nice body too..." The demon reached his other hand through the cage and stroked a hand down the back of Kuwabara's head. He tugged affectionately at one of Kuwabara's curls, before his hand slid down his neck, over his collarbone, and down to the front of Kuwabara's shirt.

The demon grinned, and pulled, ripping Kuwabara's shirt away as easy as tissue, a started cry unwitting wringing out Kuwabara's throat. The demon smiled at Kuwabara's momentary outburst of terror, and that same smile only grew as Kuwabara forced his fear down in favor of presenting another hateful glare.

"You're just so cute. Acting like you're an equal with demons... hanging around them like you could ever be one of them," The demon teased, his hand trailing back up to Kuwabara's chest to trace a smattering of scars over his heart, "You are indeed powerful, and while that is admirable, you clearly need to be taught where you fall in the food chain. And since you're awfully strong, and your body is my type, I'll be more than happy enough to teach you. And if you behave, I promise you'll even come to enjoy it."

Gripping Kuwabara's hair hard, he pressed Kuwabara against the bars, Kuwabara struggling with futile effort to pull away. With a curse, Kuwabara's cheek was pressed into the bar of the cage, and the demon drew close, pressing his nose to Kuwabara's chin. He inhaled, long and loud, Kuwabara squirming uncomfortably as the demon took in his scent.

"Stop it!" Kuwabara shouted, hissing and grunting as his face was pressed into the space of the bars, growling as the demon tilted towards him. He kissed Kuwabara's chin, and trailed upwards, laughing a little as Kuwabara drew his own lips into his mouth. Underneath Kuwabara's panic, he became aware that the sounds of his friends battling, had stopped.

"Oh, that's so cute! Refusing to kiss me? Well, you won't have a say-"

The demon is cut off, as Yusuke Urameshi, buries his foot so hard and so far up his ass, that surely his tailbone has been turned to dust, and his asshole is ruptured. The demon is ripped away from the cage and sent flying, his claws leaving bleeding cuts against Kuwabara's neck and chest.

Kuwabara lets out an anxious, and relieved gasp as Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke stand and take stock over their captured friend. Kuwabara looks back at them, shaken from the struggle he's just endured, and startled by the amount of viscera his comrades are coated with. Something had motivated them to make quick work of their enemies. Kuwabara's tattered state sends a ripple of hate and anger through their eyes, and Yusuke is the first to tear away from the group, shouting after the demon he'd kicked like a soccer ball.

"Hey, you red-assed piece of shit! I'm about to make good on that promise I said about your tail!"

"Kazuma, can you lie flat please?" Kurama asked, voice cold as he withdrew his whip, "I'll have you out of there in a moment."

Kuwabara, uncharacteristically quiet but too weary to force any words, drops flat down in the cage, his hands lacing over his head to protect it. He feels a wind whip over his body, and then hears the sound of the cage falling to pieces around him. He jumps as a hand grabs his arms, and looks up at Hiei, his expression unreadable as he starts to tug Kuwabara up and away from the ruined cage.

Kuwabara is shaky on his feet, adrenaline and fear mixing in an awful crash inside his body, so he does not pull away from Hiei's firm grip. Hiei is steady, firm, and surprisingly gentle, as he pulls Kuwabara from the remains, and guides him to sit down on a nearby rock. Kuwabara breathes a sigh of relief, as distance from the cage, seems to release whatever constraint it had on his Reiki. It's a comfort to have his power return to him.

Hiei looks at Kuwabara, taking in his torn shirt, and the seeping wounds the demon had left behind on him. Uncomfortable, Kuwabara presses the torn fabric against his chest, covering a part of himself up that he had never minded showing before. Kuwabara clears his throat and laughs a weak, "I'm fine."

Hiei's red eyes snap to Kuwabara's face, his expression stony. A line forms by his mouth, and his eyes narrow; a sign that he is clenching his jaw too tight. Hiei says nothing else but turns to where Yusuke is, currently beating the shit out of the red-skinned demon, who howls like a dying beast. Hiei withdraws his sword and disappears with that unmatched speed Kuwabara's spiritual awareness can't always keep track of.

Kurama looks over at where Yusuke and Hiei are handling their enemy, takes a steady breath, and kneels before Kuwabara, giving him his full attention, "Let me help with your wounds, alright?"

"It's not too bad. His claws got me when Urameshi kicked the fucker away!" Kuwabara says, his smile a little more sincere, even if his words wobble.

Kurama places gentle hands on Kuwabara's forearm, "The shirt is ruined... shall we use it for bandages? Will that be okay?"

He pierces Kuwabara with a kind green gaze, ready to do whatever Kuwabara needed.

Kuwabara placed a hand on Kurama's, pressing the hand against his arm. He means to answer, but he can't find them. Instead, he keeps ahold of Kurama's hand, using the fox's touch to ground him.

Kurama smiles understandingly, "We can wait a minute."

Kuwabara nods, and the pair sit in silence, watching as the red-skinned demon faces a terrible thrashing at the hands of Yusuke and Hiei. When a few minutes pass and the demon is howling apologies, and pleading for his torment to stop, Kuwabara lets the unsettled, terrified feeling fall away from him.

Kuwabara smiles at Kurama, "Knew you guys would get to me."

Kurama returns the grin, "Of course! You didn't have any doubts did you?"

Kuwabara rips the rest of his ruined shirt off, and passes it to Kurama, who immediately starts tearing strips for bandages. Kuwabara inhales and lets out one last shaky exhale. He smiles, wide and as bright as the sun, "Ah, maybe a little! But even if he made off with me, I knew you guys would come to get me."

"He wouldn't have gotten that far," Kurama says, seriously. A promise that had another meaning. A callback to a past, when Kuwabara had been taken from their sight. Kurama ties off the first set of bandages around Kuwabara's throat, "Never again will someone drag you off like that, understand?"

Kuwabara nods, swallowing past a bubble of unspoken fear. To shift the atmosphere, he complains, "If he hadn't used that weird cage on me, I woulda kicked his ass!"

"You always have an excuse for your own screw-ups, don't you?" Hiei sniffs, as he rejoins the group. He is bloody, though it is not his. He uses his cloak to clean his hands before pressing the back of his knuckles against Kuwabara's cheek. A silent check-in.

Kuwabara briefly presses his cheek against Hiei's hand, a signal that everything is alright. And then Hiei drops his hand, and Kuwabara lifts his arms so Kurama can wrap his chest, and it is like the moment between Hiei and Kuwabara never happened. The moment will go unspoken of.

"Seriously! I coulda taken him if he hadn't gotten the jump on me! I swear, all the demon bad guys do this to me, cuz they don't want their ass whooped by a human!" Kuwabara huffs, complaining loudly.

Yusuke joins them, dropping the head of the red-skinned demon and his tail, just behind a rock and out of Kuwabara's sight. His eyes are a little feral and glimmer with a speck of golden energy. He scans Kuwabara over and waits for Kurama to be done with the bandages, before he throws himself at Kuwabara, knocking the man flat on his back.

"Goddammit, Urameshi!" Kuwabara snaps, flat on his back with his best friend wrapped around him in a protective strange hold. Yusuke clearly wants to put Kuwabara into a headlock, or even dig an elbow into Kuwabara's ribs, but Yusuke is too aware of Kuwabara's injuries. So instead, Yusuke just drapes himself like a heavy blanket around Kuwabara.

"You idiot," Yusuke grumbles, his voice sulky, and worried, "Are you alright?"

A flat look of irritation crosses Kuwabara's face as he thinks of pointing out that his injuries had just been wrapped up before Yusuke sacked him to the ground. But he lets the irritation pass and drapes an arm around Yusuke's shoulders. Kurama and Hiei lean over the pair, taking up Kuwabara's field of vision, wearing vastly different expressions that somehow mean the same thing.

They were worried about him, and they care about him.

With knowledge of this group's care, Kuwabara will be just fine.

Kuwabara grins for the trio to see, "Yeah, I'm fine. Everything is good."

End

[thishumanspace]

I Feel Like I'm The Only One Who Realizes...

that narratives are FILTERS over a circumstance and not an actual circumstance. There is no such thing as "negativity". That is a "lens" or "filter" placed on Pure Source energy that is formed, dressed or "seasoned" over a perception of circumstance.

"Negative" energy doesn't exist.

"Negative" is a judgement over Source energy.

Source Energy is always Pure, lol

*So when I continue to say, "There is only WELLBEING here", now everyone knows why.

I saw someone explain Scorpio energy and I almost posted an in-depth video to clarify what "darkness" really is and how it pertains to Scorpio. I love "Scorpio" energy (& all other water signs) and there's obviously opportunities to continue the conversation of clearing up what their energetic potential ACTUALLY represents when Scorpio is self-aware. Basically, understanding Scorpio is understanding everything in reality. So every conversation about the Truth of reality will always point back to the SAME thing no matter what. Just like the conversation around manifesting actually points back to the same thing. So when people think that there are different ways to manifest and they are calling it different things and coming up with all these "techniques", it all points back to one common denominator.

This is why I don't subscribe to anything, but Awareness & simply Being. Not LOA, Non-Dualism, Placebo, Reiki, and anything else that would tempt the mind to cling to a "solution" to what is desired. Cut that mental distraction....that's the subtlety that has some folks "hooked" into "figuring out" manifestation and circles their mind into trying to SOLVE something. Nothing's missing or broken from your Awareness. Folks literally out here saying, "but where is my desire?" without acknowledging that the question they ask is referencing their AWARENESS of the desire.

Like....read that back and marinate in that. Why is anyone inquiring about something THEY ARE ALREADY AWARE OF?

Let everything go. Cease inquiry. Stay Observant and watch what shows up. Do not narrate what you see. Inner Being will manifest your highest mindset to you thru you and your desires naturally. You will know the difference in these thoughts. Trust and focus are all that are necessary and even that requires no effort whatsoever.

The courage to simply Be, Observe and Watch how the wisdom within works and processes your desires to you and thru you.

You never know what you desire until your Inner Being reveals it to you & thru you, so why would you think you're responsible for the ways in which it expands into your Awareness? #rhetoricalquestion

There are no "negative" aspects. Those are the very narratives/judgmental filters that are distractions to the Ego. Narratives are options, which means the filters of positive and negative are a choice and not definitive. When the mind is disciplined to the WELLBEING that Life actually is, it makes the illusion that is "negativity" irrelevant and non-existent. May everyone understand this. Life is not hard. Love does not hurt. Pain is optional. Ignore anything that isn't WELLBEING and watch unnecessary conditions and circumstances dissolve. This is the PERSISTANCE. Mental discipline will cut all that out and reveal Truth. For the sake of all Love may this be understood by All <3

[creature-wizard]

Energy Work On The Body: Hittin' The Right Spots For Tension Relief

While evidence does not suggest that energy healing alone is a reliable method of curing serious illnesses, there is still some evidence that energy healing techniques do provide some benefit. For example, Reiki applied by trained practitioners was found to promote relaxation and improve one's mood. And that's not nothing! Stress is hard on your mind and body.

Now, I will not be talking about chakras here, but I will instead offer an alternative approach. The main reason is that the concept of chakras that most of us are accustomed to is pretty bastardized from their origins. Another reason is that our bastardized concept of chakras isn't really a useful framework for what I'm about to talk about.

(If you want to learn more about how chakras have been appropriated and bastardized, scroll down to the end.)

Instead, I'm going to ask you to consider where your body tenses up under stress. This might be:

Your forehead

Your jaw

Your neck and shoulders

Your upper chest/heart region

Your upper back

Your abdominal area

Your hands

Your hips

Or maybe you tense up somewhere else! But in any case, try and observe where your body tenses up or where you start feeling pain when you're stressed out. (If you start feeling sick to your stomach when people talk about politics or religion, that's a stress response!)

Once you've figured this out, you want to get yourself relaxed. You can try any meditation technique you want, or you might try laying in bed with relaxing music or even a podcast or audiobook, whatever helps. As you lay there, visualize peaceful healing energies on your tension spot. You may not notice anything different immediately, but if you keep it up for several days you might find that it makes a difference.

Happy witchin'!

On the appropriation/bastardization of chakras:

CHAKRAS (are not what you think they are)

Chakras - What they really are

The real story on the Chakras

Witchcraft PSA: The Chakras & Cultural Appropriation

[ener-chi]

Journal Time!! I got a fun story/experience to share today. It actually took place over 2 separate days. TL;DR Reiki and fully letting go; and under the cut: A wandering spirit finding me, pocket-dimension programming, and helping it pass over

Since the story is really long, I'll put the regular post and my musings here up-top, and then my notes under the cut.

When I was thinking about getting my Reiki 3 (aka Master's) Attunement, I remember reading someone say that the Master's Attunement is like a roller coaster, and once you get on, you cannot get off, no matter how much you want to.

I find that this is absolutely true. So many things have happened in the past 2 years that have just completely turned me and my life upside down. It definitely has felt like a roller coaster lmao.

Especially lately. Super long story short - I have been feeling more and more that I just... don't have control. I have been trying - in vain - to control my thoughts, my emotions, my stress, stressors in my life, situations, energies, etc. etc. - all in vain.

It finally came to the point where I realized - I can't control anything. There is nothing that I can do.

And in that moment, I remembered that I had dedicated myself and my life to Reiki. And I decided to just... let go. I can't control anything. I might as well just... trust Reiki, and let it take me where it wants me to go.

Since I have done that... everything has changed. I find myself in a Flow that I can't really explain. I am being guided to people and situations and things that I wouldn't have otherwise, that were absolutely divinely timed. And I feel my trajectory changing. I have been caring about things that... weren't in alignment with my Path, and what Truly Matters. I am starting to see things more clearly now.

It is... absolutely terrifying to me that I don't have any control. It makes me extremely scared and anxious. And yet... there is a comfort in knowing that... I don't have to worry, and that I'm being watched over and taken care of, and going where I need to go. And also... it's freeing. I don't have to spend so much energy trying to control things that I couldn't anyways.

Anywho. Thanks for reading! My experience with a wandering spirit will be below the cut.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful night!

Blessings!

Here are my notes from when I encountered and helped a wandering spirit pass over. If you are new to my blog or are unfamiliar with my readings, I do automatic writing, where I write down everything that I think/see/hear/feel/experience as it happens, which is why it looks the way it does.

I sense a presence in my room... Actually... It's been lurking around...

Hello... I feel hands on my shoulders...

Who are you...

Comes in front of me... What do you want... Kind of wispy...

I get more firm... If you do not tell me who you are and what your intentions are... You will be forcibly removed. I do not tolerate unwanted visitors.

Puts hands up... Having a hard time communicating with them... Perhaps human...

I soften... I feel them...

I can't speak well with human spirits... But... If you open yourself up to me, I can feel you... And communicate with you that way...

A bit hesitant but...

I apologize... When you work with spirits... You must be careful... Besides... If you found a stranger in your room, wouldn't you also be on guard??

Nods... I feel... Hm... Human spirit definitely... I see them... Wandering through the halls of my apartment complex... Found me... Drawn to me... Light... Gravity...

Did you pass?? I see... That... They are related to a friend... Or someone in the building... They passed away... Stuck around them... And then... Kind of... Wandered... Didn't know what else to do...

They loved this person... Wanted to see them again... Before... Before well... Unsure...

As I expected... It can get a bit foggy if you don't pass immediately... They saw my light and warmth... Different energy... Than everything else around... Drawn to it... Doesn't know what it is... But... Knows that it is... Safe... Good...

I smile... Again... I apologize for earlier... I... Am a spirit worker... Astral traveler... Gifted... Etc...

One of the things that I can do... Is... Help spirits pass over... To the other side...

What does that mean...

When beings die... Their spirit gets separated from their body... And... It goes to a place that I have dubbed... The Place That Spirits Go... Or... The White Place...

Very aptly named, I know...

I've been there a handful of times now... It is a place of pure light... White light... Cities... People... A lot goes on there...

I... Call it that because I don't have any other evidence or experiential knowledge to compare it to any other theories that we developed here on earth...

Anywho...

With all that being said... I can channel the same white light... And it will help you pass over...

Immediate fear... And anxiety...

I smile... I understand... You don't know what it is... Don't know what to expect... I've helped... Countless spirits... Pass over... And... The energy is... At least what it appears to me to be...

It is... Blissful... Everyone gets so joyous and happy and giggly... It's like... Home... Returning to home...

It is not a bad place... At all... It won't be like you are expecting...

Images of fear... Brimstone... No... No pain or suffering like that... Definitely not Hell...

In any case... I can help you pass over... But you don't have to do it right now if you don't want to...

But... If you want to wait... Which again is fine... I don't know if I'm comfortable with you staying in my apartment... In my space...

I sense his fear of... Out there...

I am reminded of a promise I made to Sekhmet...

Hm...

I will prepare a crystal that you can stay in... And that is the only place that you can be... Without my permission... If you want to get my attention... You can... Hm... I guess you wouldn't know how to astral travel, would you...

Shakes head...

That's fine... For now... I will say... That you can stay in the crystal... And you can only come out to get my attention...  I will make it... Spacious and comfortable in there... Don't worry...

Anxious... But... Relieved...

Alright...

At this point, I didn’t channel/automatic write it, because I was actually doing stuff with my hands physically. I took a crystal – a clear quartz crystal, which is a really good crystal to do this with, as it is kind of “blank” and easy to program, kind of like a blank piece of paper, ready to be filled with whatever you are going to put on it. In a nutshell, I kind of made a pocket dimension inside of it, heavily protected it, and made it so that it has 2 access points. I have access to them, and only those I give access to can use them (to which I gave the spirit access while he was here). I then programmed it to be like furnished and have some energy that might help to nourish a spirit, and also some Reiki should they want it. I also programmed it so that they could influence and change the furnishing and decorations and style to match something that they are more comfortable with.

3 days later...

I'm... Back in my own energy now... and my astral space... I hear a knocking on the door... I go and answer it... And... It is... The spirit again... Comes in... Their energy is... So much better... Than when I saw them a couple days ago...

Hello...

Waves and smiles...

So... Have you made up your mind... Are you ready to go...

Nods... Has something to say, though... I tune in...

Is... Grateful... For the time that he had... And the space that I gave him... He has... Spent some time thinking and was able to think and see more clearly... Able to... Ponder on things...

Also... Visited the person in my apartment complex... One or two more times... I feel... Peace... He was able to make peace with them and what made him stay in the first place...

Comes back to him... Nods... Yes... He is ready to go...

Very well...

I just need to... Untether you from the little home that I made... And then I will get you on your way...

A little bit of anxiety about the passing over...

I smile... Again... Reassure him that... From what I've seen... It is a wonderful experience... And... Intuitively... I tell him that... I actually see... A team... Of people waiting for him when he passes over... With like clipboards... They're smiling and their energy is lovely and warm... Interesting...

Anywho...

As I'm untethering and clearing his energy from the space... There is... A memory that is lingering... That I feel I need to view...

Transition...

Sun... Early summer... Really warm air... Grass... Wildflowers and dandelions... Crabgrass... In this... Grassy area...

I see him... Walking...

Hm... Older... Like... 50's... He is just... Absolutely beaming... So full of joy... On this walk... The weather is wonderful... He is... Walking with people... That I can't really make out... Silhouettes... Shadows... But I can tell that they are people that he loves... Family... I believe...

He is... Very present... Taking in everything about this moment... The weather... The clouds passing by... The air on his skin... Animals... He points out some animals skittering to I believe a grandchild... Or child he is related to...

So much joy in his heart...

I feel... The spirit... Next to me... A hand on my shoulder... Smiling... Warmly... This is what life is about... He is... Grateful... That he got to do it...

He wants to linger in this memory for a bit longer...

We come back...

Transition...

As I clear him from the little "house rock" that I might call it... I give him permission to enter into my space so that I can help him...

And as I do... I feel his presence energetically in the room with me irl...

A shape and figure moving around... Much more... Solidified... And... Has more form... Than when I saw him a few days ago...

Alright... Are you ready...

A little nervous... But... Yes...

I smile... It's going to be great... 

As I connect with this white light and energy... I feel it... Dripping down me... And opening up some blockages in my crown chakra and my hara as it moves down...

He gets a little anxious... But mostly in anticipation...

I cup my hands... Which fill with this white light/energy... I stand in front of him... He smiles and thanks me... I dump it over his head... It trickles down...

He does that thing when someone gets cold water dumped on their head... A little bit of shock... But immediately... Starts to smile... Really big...

Looks at his hands... It feels... Really good... Invigorating... Energizing... His form... Starts to outline in white... And starting from the bottom... Turning white...

He laughs and kind of moves around a little bit... He looks at me one last time... Half-way white now...

He again thanks me... I give him a nod... The whiteness completely enveloping him...

And he glows brighter and brighter... Almost blinding... And starts to fade...

As the brightness fades... He is gone... 

And I am alone...

[ark-inkweaving]

💔: give a brief character bio of your 3-5 MCs

💞: which future scene are you looking forward to writing?

💝: who has your favorite character arch? give a brief summary

hi alina! thanks so much for the ask ^-^

💔: give a brief character bio of your 3-5 MCs

okay okay so. you are aware of the fact that the abstract resonances (stars, planets, sun, moon) are ill omens and cause panic, yeah? yeah, so, of course in a situation where massive catastrophe is incoming because some of the Realms are growing unstable is going to have them. thus i present to you the Astral Quartet lmao

Aira ✵ the star of the group, grew up entirely on Earth surrounded by her mother's attempts to gaslight her into thinking magic doesn't exist and keeping her away from it. obviously this only serves to make Aira volatile and angry, but now she has to catch up fast on what the fuck is happening and what the ✧•°:*✦ visions ✦*:°•✧ mean

Syphe ✵ stinky bastard crime boy with planet resonance. he's basically a vigilante with his friends and then works as an informant and thief on commission. loves terrifying people by reading them like an open book. however he is also dying, which makes him a reckless idiot with no patience and very little tact

Aleji ✵ the most mysterious of the group, fitting for the moon. they were childhood friends with Aira before disappearing, and once she finds them again they're a rather powerful mage. they move a lot between Earth and Izerko, working as a researcher and tattoo artist who knows a suspicious amount of people in high places

Meiviza ✵ of course the unholy combination of eldest daughter syndrome and gifted child syndrome has a sun resonance. add being saved from a cult as an infant and helicopter parents in the mix and you have a ticking time bomb of "i hate the world, fuck off and let me live my life", which is well deserved but violently explosive

💞: which future scene are you looking forward to writing?

in the near-future, i have a very interesting scene of Aira and Sonia alone that is terrifying to me and will send Aira spiraling. this is immediately followed by The Skate Park Scene™, which i've already written the start of in a flash fiction friday challenge. that one is going to entail a panic attack, a breakdown and a heart-to-heart between rivals about getting fucked over by their families' grief

however in the far future (like, early book 4) i have a scene that is just me destroying the love triangle allegations in favor of a polycule. love me a conversation between Lukiat "i'm glad he found you, he's been looking for you for a long time, he's brighter with you, not surprising since you're a really good guy, i'm happy for you" Akarai and Reyenn "dude that is such bullshit, don't think i don't notice how much you're in love with him, also he looks at you like you've hung the stars for him so check fucking mate, now let me fall asleep on you, you're soft" Tzazalqe immediately turning into an "oh fuck i love two people" moment

💝: who has your favorite character arc? give a brief summary

hmmm, aside from Reyenn? probably Ideli, the Imperial Princess of Reiki. as much as she does her best to be down to earth and concious of other people's struggles, she still comes from a highly privileged position and is very idealistic in how she faces the negative parts of the world. very "everything can be solved!" in vibe

and then over the course of the series she's going to grow more grounded, more aware of limits and more pragmatic and practical. she doesn't lose her idealism, but she does learn to weight it against the real world effects. it's a very necessary skill to have in a revolution, but it will serve her well also when she does ascend to the throne

[question list]

✵ Revolve Taglist ✵ @corinneglass @aalinaaaaaa @write-with-will

[desirepathzine]

The Magic of Sara Landry

As a tween, I was so fascinated with electronic music. Nothing could bypass the television static in my brain and get me through tasks and trials like those methodical beeps and boops. My first brush with it was The Social Network soundtrack, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. I didn't know music could sound like that, elicit that sort of feeling.

This grew into a love of industrial, EBM, and aggrotech as I grew into my dancing years, going out to clubs that would play the sledgehammer hits of Nitzer Ebb and the mesmerizing arppegiations of VNV Nation.

"Techno" when and where I was growing up was largely relegated to blasting "Sandstorm" over and over again and the occasional Skrillex remix. In my classically trained family, why would you be interested in someone whose job was to stand at a Macbook and press a few buttons? I didn't really think of the aforementioned

But in the last year, as I look for new horizons to make my nascent workout plans hit a little harder, I discovered so many amazing DJs and electronic wizards who curate incredible sets and bring the energy that can carry me through even the laziest of days. HORSEGRL, Brutalismus, Dana Montana, all amazing, but my favorite and most admired is the inimitable Sara Landry.

Sara first came across my radar thanks to a dear friend. They both have ADHD, and my friend loved her openness and approach to living with the challenges that ADHD can present.

Sara is sincerely open and honest about how her particular bag of neurodivergence affects her work and music, something her growing legion of fans connects with, deeply. One of my favorite pictures of her is during her incredible all-night Knockout set where she is surrounded by sweaty dancing patrons holding a sign that reads, "WE'RE HIGH ON ADHD". She is very playful with her audience, even as the music she spins is breakneck, intense, hardcore, noisy, techno.

And what beautiful noise it is. It's always a treat to both hear something new, whether just a song that was not on my radar or a Sara original from her Hekate label, and the familiar classics flipped through her own vision in her sets. Landry gained attention on TikTok for playing Noise Mafia's insane edit of MIA's Paper Planes during a Boiler Room set, as well as her Perfect (Exceeder) flip that emerged on the internet just as that track resurfaced for the smash SALTBURN soundtrack. Good timing? Yes. But would we have noticed even if that song wasn't rising back up into the charts? I think so.

Techno fans and followers are often talking up 'the energy' of going to a rave or a DJ set. Such woo-woo hippie talk can sound maybe even a little corny to those of us who have been outside of it, but after watching a Landry set, I totally believe in it. Sara even says as much in her various interviews, noting that she likens her performances to reiki, “where people are taking in my energy and releasing what does not serve them.” (DJMag, April 2024). She's here to serve as a conduit, taking us to higher, heavier, and more chaotic places.

Her aforementioned Boiler Room set has over five million youtube hits, and I would warrant about 15 of those are mine. My room has never been cleaner, my workouts have never been easier, and my Apex Legends competitive ranking has never been higher. The last twenty or so minutes of that set are spellbinding, a live looping segment that takes the already high energy so high that you assume the roof of the Boiler Room must be somewhere in the stratosphere.

Within all of the witchy aesthetics and breakneck beats, here is someone living with their neurodivergence, finding what works for them, being open and approachable about how their mind works, and thriving. Some might find it counter intuitive that such a light worker plays such chaotic music, dresses exclusively in black with dark dramatic eye looks, and makes silly TikToks in their downtime, but Sara Landry is bringing a searing white light of energy wherever she goes.