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capricores · 4 years

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FOURTH HOUSE: childhood observations (by mode)

* i focused more on the rougher manifestations of these placements in this post! i will make a positive manifestations version of these placements soon. also note your whole chart will influence this, and especially the individual sign of your fourth house (and planets located in the fourth), i am just grouping by mode for ease. also this is entirely based off my own research, interpretations, experiences, etc.

✨ mutable (pisces, gemini, sagittarius, virgo) fourth houses often experience childhoods in which one or both parents (or guardians) were absent. it may not be physically, it’s also often having emotionally detached and/or distant parents/guardians. mutable fourth houses usually had childhoods in which they had to learn to care for themselves and be independent at young ages; which is why as adults they generally have no problem living on their own, caring for themselves, making their own home & adjusting to change wherever they go (especially true if they also have a mutable moon and/or venus). unfortunately they also often struggle with emotional processing and expression in adulthood due to the emotional or physical unavailability of their family. it often even manifests as an attraction to toxic partners/friends who provide nothing emotionally/only drain them.

they are also likely to experience childhoods that involved a lot of moving around (cities or countries, schools, etc), which is why many mutable fourth house individuals feel as if they don’t truly have a “home”, and feel comfortable moving around freely in adulthood, and don’t have an immense need to stay stagnant in one physical place for too long (this will apply more to sagittarius and pisces). however this can also manifest in a more stressful way, feeling as if they “lost’ their childhood, or have no home nor stable place to go to when they are overwhelmed and in need of comfort. they must spend a lot of time and effort learning where they can find comfort, and how to build their own safe spaces.

the child’s intelligence was likely placed on the forefront during childhood, especially if the individual has gemini/virgo in the fourth. college/university may have been especially pressured for sagittarius fourth house individuals. you may have had a childhood in which you were encouraged to share your thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc freely and were praised for such. but on the other hand, you may have been forced down a certain path (school-wise), and had far too much stress put on you throughout childhood regarding your grades and perceived intelligence.

mutable fourth houses tend to come from “odd” situations; and usually quite unstable home environments. i’ve personally noticed mutable fourth houses are the least likely to want to talk about their past, family, childhood; because they’re sometimes ashamed of the “strangeness” of their past and the uncontrollable things that occurred in their childhood, because of their parents/family/etc.

✨ cardinal (libra, cancer, capricorn, aries) fourth houses tend to have parents/families that were over-involved in their lives; often controlling. i find that they likely had parents that put ridiculous amounts of pressure and responsibility on them from a young age. these placements didn’t get much time to be an actual child, as it’s likely they weren’t shielded from the harshness and rough realities of the world/others like they should have been. due to this, cardinal fourth house individuals tend to know exactly what they want for themselves in the future; specifically in terms of their home life, and future relationships; they usually end up developing unmatchable work ethic and boundaries as adults. however, they have to learn to embrace, accept and express their inner child; otherwise they will drown themselves in stress.

capricorn and aries fourth houses specifically were likely to experience a lot of strictness/control, and an authoritarian, sometimes aggressive, nature in their homes. they may have felt a lot of tension in their home growing up, and as if their parents/guardians were pushing them too hard in everything they did; trying to piece together their lives for them and leaving them with no say. their may have even been a lot of fighting between family members in their homes, or passive aggression, if this placement manifests harshly. this is why they tend to grow up fiercely individual and with a refusal to let anyone ever tell them what to do. they can easily hold their own regardless of the situations they’re placed in as adults.

cancer and libra fourth houses i’ve noticed had perfectionism and high standards placed extremely hard on them from a young age, especially from mother figures. although i find them the most likely of all the fourth house signs to be “babied” throughout childhood, i’ve also noticed this babying being turned into too much focus on this child. to the point where the child has so many expectations, high standards, etc., to meet due to the unrealistic projections and pressures from their parents. cancer and libra fourth houses often experience their parents trying to force certain futures onto them, that they themselves weren’t able to achieve/fulfill. in certain manifestations, this fourth house placement actually makes it so the cancer/libra fourth house individual has to be the parent to their own parents/siblings/etc. they may be overly forgiving, nurturing, and giving to their family (this will be heightened if venus or neptune are in the fourth as well).

cardinal fourth houses likely had a very perfectionist home environment and childhood, as i mentioned, and may have even been heavily pressured about their appearance, and how they come off to the public and represent their family. “image” was of huge importance throughout their past, and may have led to them being insecure adults or adults who are far too hard on themselves. it’s possible their parents had a picture perfect home/seemingly very peaceful home to the public/outsiders, that was actually a disaster/toxic environment behind the scenes. negative cardinal home environments can also leave individuals scared to initiate things and act on their own/without a push, despite this initiation being in their nature; since they were so used to being pushed by family members in various directions.

✨ fixed (leo, scorpio, taurus, aquarius) fourth houses can have their childhoods/pasts summed up in one word: intense. in true fixed fashion, their home environments were likely very strong: whether that strong is a good or bad word, depends on the manifestation of the placement. fixed signs, much like cardinals, likely experienced very controlling and sometimes aggressive (more likely for scorpio/leo) environments in the home. regardless of the sign, the parents/guardians were likely very stubborn, pushy and may have not allowed the child to have their own independent thoughts, goals, desires, ideas, etc. due to this, fourth house in a fixed sign individuals usually grow up to have very unshakable goals and opinions, and are able to hold their own in very serious and tough situations (such as loss, heartbreak, confrontation, etc). these individuals also sometimes must provide financially for themselves (and even their family) at a young age, because their family is unable to do so for them. it’s common for these fourth houses to get jobs at younger ages than most people around them generally would. i’ve also found those with fixed fourth houses (esp taurus/scorpio) had family members who tried to control and manipulate them via money/material items/finances; OR who tried to manipulate money out of them.

scorpio and aquarius fourth house placements specifically go through a lot of change and transformation during their childhood. they tend to experience immensely unstable home environments; due to the influence of uranus and pluto. it’s likely something major and traumatic may have even happened during childhood, that essentially changed their life forever (of course depending on other placements and just, life in general). they may have been the types to move around a lot during childhood, or have a lot of sudden swings in their life. the swings may have been smaller things, such as their parents/guardians being very moody, changing jobs a lot, etc; or larger things, such as famliy members losing jobs/income, sudden death, divorce of parents, etc. scorpio and aquarius fourth house individuals tend to, like mutable placements, end up “raising themselves” and/or feeling very alone and detached as a child; and as an adult (they really have to work on “building their own family” via friendships/etc).

similar to libra and cancer mentioned above, leo and taurus fourth house placements are likely raised with intense ideals and expectations from their parents; and are driven to a constant state of achieving unattainable perfection. this can result in becoming adults with huge insecurities that are far too hard on themselves. their home life throughout childhood is usually quite abundant (this abundance isn’t always good, however), or they have parents/family members with very material/money-focused mindsets. they may have frequently experienced their parents putting their careers, image, belongings, etc., before their own child(ren), leaving them feeling quite abandoned or unloved. this is why these individuals often go on to seek validation/love from others in the future for their self-esteem, especially if they have strong leo personal placements. leo and taurus fourth houses likely had huge pressure from their family to make something significant out of themselves. not necessarily a pressure to just do well in school, but to do something huge; such as become famous/widely-known, obtain scholarships/the highest grades, get a super “distinguished” or high-paying job, etc.

#astrology #mine #fourth house #ic #m:sp #ofc your other placements will alter this!! and planets in fourth #and there's so many different manifestations for these placements #and they absolutely alter by individual sign. but i enjoy grouping together by mode #i will make a more in depth post on specific signs eventually #i could rant abt the fourth house ALL day #i think i've studied fourth house more than anything else throughout my years of being into astro #if u can relate to this pls tell me i love the ego boost and validation FJLDKJFD

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maturemenoftvandfilms · 3 years

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My Rumsfeld and Cheney story.

***

I am in my late 20s and have been at my job in the White House for several months. Despite my age, I have been handed the task of helping to organize and arrange the administration’s new initiative to expand the humanities in America’s schools. I have an Ivy League education but I know the real reason I have the job. It is because my father has been lifelong friends with the President and is one of his closest advisors.

But being this is Washington, my father has enemies. At the top of the list are Donald Rumsfeld and his acolyte Dick Cheney — notorious for their scheming, ruthlessness and ways to grab power at the expense of others, and they are eyeing up putting a knife in my father’s back.

I am walking down the hallway. There are two things in my mind. The first is career preservation. If my father is forced out by them, then my career goes down the toilet.

But the main reason is because of something I have finally admitted to myself — that they are both incredibly attractive, and I want to submit to them.

I see Rumsfeld’s hatchet face of a Secretary. She buzzes. I wait for a few minutes, hearing him laughing on the phone. Finally, he has me sent in as he peers over some files and is writing something on a notepad, not paying me any attention, giving me a terse, “How may I help you? I’m not sure I can be of any service to your program.”

I shiver.

“Well, Mr. Rumsfeld,” I say. He perks up a bit hearing the deference in my voice. “I did not come specifically to ask you that. I came today to tell you...” I gulp. “I came to tell you that I know you are coming after my father. And I want to tell you that I know you are going to push him. And that my full loyalty and allegiance is with you.”

He stops writing and looks up.

“I see,” he says, with no emotion at all. “You see, I know my way around Washington. And this is something that I find highly dubious. Some kind of trick. So, you may go, even though you are correct about your father’s fate.”

I knew he would doubt me. So I have him a file.

“Well, in advance of that, I prepared a briefing document for you. It is a lot of information you may find useful to destroy him. Not that you need my assistance.”

He opens the file, adjusts his glasses, and chuckles.

“Well, I know some of this already. But this... I will say, that this could be useful in making my job that much easier.”

He leans back and steeples his fingers.

“Of course, I still do not quite believe you yet.” He swivels his chair. “Come here now and kneel before me. Denounce your father and your entire family and beg me to accept your loyalty.”

I pace around the desk and get on my knees.

“I denounce my father and an ashamed of my family’s name. Mr. Rumsfeld, Sir. I beg you. Please accept my allegiance to you. I promise I will serve you in any capacity that you wish, Sir.”

He lets out a Cheshire Cat smile and laughs.

“Very good. That is a good boy.” He then stands and beads to his belt. “Now there is one more chance to show your utmost loyalty. If you do this, and do this well... I will allow you the chance to serve me, as you put it.”

His pants and shorts drop with my assistance. He sits back down kingly, and I begin to take him in my mouth. His hand quickly moves to the back of my head, the weight of his Princeton class ring evident, as he steers me at the pace and depth he wants.

“That’s it. You’re starting to prove your worth to me. I assumed you were as worthless as your old man. But I can see what you think of me. Look up at me and tell me you worship me.”

I pant and look up at his smirking face.

“Mr. Rumsfeld, Sir. I worship you like the superior person you are, and have done so since the first time I heard your name, Sir.”

He nods and forced my mouth over his cock again, now gripping my hair snugly and fucking my face. I am moaning as I suck away. Finally, I can hear him gasp a bit. Moaning, and I sense what is coming. He explodes all over my face, and then laughs.

“Let me look at you. The son of my arch-enemy, dripping in my cum.”

I let him look as he smiles at his trophy. Finally, he nods to the tissues, and tells me that I may clean myself up, he will be in touch, and I may take my leave. He then heads right back to his work, paying me no mind.

I head to the door and pause.

“Mr. Rumsfeld, Sir. May I please say something before I leave?”

He looks up, nods, and tells me to be quick.

I walk towards his desk and am opposite it. I kneel once again, and this time cup my hands like I am praying.

“Thank you so much for letting me suck your cock, Sir. I know how lucky I am to be able to breath the same air as you, let alone to know I can pleasure you. I hope I have shown my allegiance to you, Sir.”

He looks at me with a stern and serious gaze, pausing as he does.

“You recognized your place and chose wisely to admit it. You’ll be able to rise up the ranks here so long as you remember that you are beneath me and you live to do as I order. Now you may take your leave.”

***

It is a few weeks later and he has finally been in touch. 7 pm. That night. His estate.

I arrive promptly. A maid answers the door. I head him laughing, and I am not sure who. The maid tells him that the guest has arrived.

I walk in and am paralyzed with fear. Flanking him to one side is Dick Cheney. To the other is his wife, Lynne.

“Well, there he is! The ambitious young man who will be a big help to us that I told you about.”

Their mouths drop a bit. Dick just stares at me coldly.

“Surely this is a joke,” Lynne says, hoping it is not the case. Rumsfeld tells her it is not, and then directs me to tell them both what I think about my father, especially in comparison to him, and what I wish for out of my life.

“My father is a pathetic excuse of a man and not even fit to shine your shoes, Mr. Rumsfeld, Sir. The only thing I wish for out of life is to be your faithful servant.”

They both stare at me incredulously, although evil grins cross both of their faces. Rumsfeld smiles widely and orders me to tell them what I did to serve him. So I told them how I sucked his cock and was lucky to wear his cum.

“Now, boy. I want you to know something. It is very hard in DC to find people you can trust and actually respect. Dick and Lynne are the only two people alive I call friends and consider as my equals. And that means that you serve them, too. Do you understand that?”

“Yes. I understand that I also serve Mr. and Mrs. Cheney.”

“Oh, let’s see about that,” Lynne says, grinning as she leans back in her chair.

Lynne and I have crossed paths a few times in my past. I am tasked with the humanities project. She is in charge of the agency that issues our humanities grants. She does not like that I am running this program and let me know about this and has done all she can to prevent me from enacting it unless it meets her goals.

I turn to her.

“Now, I told you that you did not deserve the job you have. You probably thought it is because of your age or who your father is. But that’s not the reason why.” She pauses. “Tell me if you agree with me... but the reason why is because you are an idiot.”

I hear Rumsfeld stifle a laugh. But I have no choice, even though I hesitate.

“You’re right. I’m an idiot, Mrs. Cheney.”

She laughs and nods.

“I am so glad that we cleared that up. I am sure that from now on, you will do as I say. I will tell you the programs I support and how much I want them supported financially. You are going to meet with me once a week with a draft of succinct reasons why you now support exactly as I want, which you will then defend to the president. Of course, I know you lack the intellectual capabilities to perform something like that up to my standards, so you can expect me to red mark your work with a pen like a kindergarten teacher.” She smirks. “And I am sure your father will be in the room, too.”

“Now, there is more than just that. One thing I want you to do — anytime you enter my office, you will show me proper respect by kissing my feet. Why don’t you do that now?”

I steel myself, press my lips to her shoes, and then thank her as she laughs as loud as she ever has in her life. She tells me to stand up and then ask her husband what he thinks.

He just smiles at me. Before I can even say anything, he starts to speak.

“I am so glad that you have recognized this about yourself. It is not easy to admit you are inferior. But I have always seen a lot of potential in you.”

He continues to smile.

“It won’t be too long until your father is back home in Wisconsin where he will be buried. Once that happens, and I inherit his job, I am going to have a need for a chief aide. Usually, this job is in an advisory capacity. But for your role, I envision it more fit for your capabilities. Having me coffee ready. Shining my shoes before any important meetings. Not saying anything beyond ‘Yes, Sir,’ and ‘No, Sir,’ unless I tell you to speak beyond that. Any sort of errand or task me or Lynne or Don want, it gets done. Got that?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now, your peers and people who have worked for your father for a very long time are going to see you hold my coat or wipe off my desk for me. What do you think they will say about this?”

“They’ll mock me, Sir.”

“They will. But deep down inside, they are going to be jealous because each and every single last one of them wants to be in the position you find yourself in — dominated by your superiors.” I can see Rumsfeld not in agreement. “Now, you will also perform the same tasks that Don had you do... only I will not be so gentle. And I will also make sure Don keeps you on his calendar as well so you can continue to serve him as well, being that he made you his toy before sharing you.”

“And don’t worry. I will still find the time and ways for you to correct your work so you can try to come up to even half of our level.”

I meekly say “Thank you.”

Rumsfeld stands up, as does Lynne. He slaps me on the back,

“Just think that your epitaph is going to read about how you were the faithful servant to the most powerful three people who ever lived.” He and Lynne head to the door. “Now get on your knees before Dick.”

I do, and he chuckles and heads to his belt.

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wool-f · 2 years

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Money and motivation

In the wise words of Wu Tang Clan - Cash Rules Everything Around Me (CREAM).

In a perfect world, this wouldn’t be the case, however, in the capitalist society that we are currently existing within, money is essential to survival.

As much as I dislike this fact, I also am an active enthusiast in buying things, enjoying things and feeling luxurious in all experiences I have. Maybe it’s the Taurus in me, maybe it’s capitalism brainwashing me, either way, I like what I like, and money is a key element to enjoying some of those specific things.

One of my favourite enjoyment experiences, and one of the most expensive hobbies ever, is travelling. In my original blogpost on this blog I talked about how I was lucky enough to be able to travel around Europe for three months at the end of my degree in 2019.

Unlike some people, I didn’t have the luxury of parent’s lending me money or being gifted the trip, I had to work two minimum wage jobs while also living out of home, paying normal bills and studying full time to be able to afford to go away for that period of time. I had to be disciplined and actively saving money the entire time, while also living a life where I wasn’t starving or missing bills.

In this blogpost, I’ll go through the methods I used to be able to save, and the habits that I got into in order to strategically save money while also being able to continue having fun. Before I begin, I thought I should put out a little disclaimer, that I realise that not everyone is going to have to same privilege I did and do in some areas, so take this with a grain of salt, especially in regards to minimum wage. I live in Australia, so our minimum wage is quite good, and I have always had a stable financial environment, purely due to luck and the minimal financial literacy education that my parents were able to impart on me. With that being said, I by no means grew up surrounded by money - from a young age I knew what it meant to work hard and smart in order to maximise the return of my efforts, being energy and time expenditure into things is a significant factor in effectively doing anything in life. I have a strong work ethic and often overwork myself in order to meet (sometimes) unreasonable goals that I set for myself, and I’ve learnt the hard way that making realistic goals is the key to achieving anything in life. And so begins the guide on how I saved money whilst on minimum wage.

Step One: Setting Achievable Goals

The most important step is to actually assess how much money you are bringing in, putting aside the amount you need to have for bills and food, and then accurately attribute the leftover funds to enjoyment and to saving.

If you haven’t saved before, this is probably the most important step, especially to not get overwhelmed or make it too difficult to achieve.

When I was saving to travel, I was making around $900 Australian dollars a week between both the jobs I was working. So I used the following equation to save.

Incoming: $900/week

Rent: $250/week Other Bills: $200/week Travel: $250 Deposit: $150 Fun: $50

On the weeks that I would earn more than $900, I would simply put the overflow straight into my travel account.

Once you’ve figured out how you want to separate your pay into your chosen categories, you’re ready for step two!

Step Two: Bank Accounts

This step will differ depending on your bank and the way they organise their app. I am with ANZ, and have seven categorically named accounts. If you can do that with your bank account, I genuinely think it’s the easiest way to actively save money.

Every week I would be so disciplined and transfer those exact amounts to their selected accounts, and tick off the milestone goals I had made for myself in saving.

I didn’t come up with this method myself. I’ve listened to my fair share of money podcasts, and I found this method the most effective for saving. The multiple account method I have described above came from the podcast My Millenial Money. The method has helped me so much that I tell anyone that will listen and I’m typing it out here now!

Step Three: Breaking Down Achievable Goals

This might be my favourite step. If you’re anything like me, you get off on ticking off check list items.

To satisfy this urge, I break down the big goal into smaller, quicker little goals.

Once I achieve the saved amount in the smaller goals, I almost get more joy ticking off the amount from my list than from the money actually being in the account.

I think this step also helps to keep the end goal in perspective without it being an overwhelming pressure to get there. It’s like any planned goal - breaking it down into small sections changes your focus from the long run, to the shorter and closer landmarks.

Step Four: Consistency

This is the last and probably the most important step. You have to consistently being saving your money to actually reach your goal. This is also something I can’t teach or give advice on, other than to say, just do it. Make it more attractive to your mind to save money than to spend it. Set your habit, stick to it. That goes for anything that you want to stick to in life. Be consistent.

With that, this brings my guide to saving money to a close! If you use this method, please let me know via my asks box or comment on the post down below! Let me know what you’re saving for and when you achieve the goal using the method!

Until the next blog post, feel free to follow me on my instagram, youtube or twitter.

Have a great week :)

#money #manifestation #law of attraction #goal setting #goals #financial literacy #planning #financial planning #saving money #save money #loa #mindfulness #discipline #achieving #achieve your potential #100daychallenge #100 day challenge #100dayschallenge #challenge yourself

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readingsbylibramc · 3 years

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birth chart reading for @nancydrewandhisbuttsniffingdog

hello! welcome to your reading. I’m gonna give you a quick overview of what I’m going to analyze about your natal chart. feel free to ask me anything if something isn’t clear, of course. you’ll find out your dominants’ influence on your persona, your physical appearance, impression on others and the way you approach the world; your ego, identity, the real you; your reactions, your desires, inner emotions; your way of expressing your feelings, your mind and ideas; your desires and approach to love; your energy tank, instincts and temperament; in-depth analysis of each house with their rulers and analysis of heavy aspects; love life + soulmates/karmic partners interpretation; your relationship with your friends; your family life; your approach to career and work in general + possible jobs suggestion; your style, fashion sense analysis; life purpose and past life description; basic transits’ analysis to describe your current mood and, last but not least, your secret skills, how to make the most out of your soul and manifest what you desire based on your birth chart.

🦋 chart shape, dominants

your chart is a splay shape, meaning that your planets are located randomly in different groups in your chart. people with this type of chart are usually very talented at different things. they can focus their attention on different matters, from family, to work, to love. everything is important for you, and you try to live your life to the fullest. you may be particularly talented at things that require action, it doesn’t matter whether it’s physical or mental. you may be very good at sports, dancing… or maybe you’re good at leading, you could easily be the boss on your work place. since you’re interested in so many things, you could easily be skilled at all of them to be honest. my advice would be to pick the hobby that is most important for you and care about it more than the others. that’s because people with this chart usually tend to do so many things that they may lack precision. it’s better to give all of yourself to what’s important for you.

your dominant planets are the moon, mercury and mars. you are a very emotional person, you probably feel things intensely even though you may be prone to mood swings. you are also a very hard-working person, you are a perfectionist and you strive to be the #1 at everything you do.

your dominant sign is virgo. with virgo as your dominant sign, I assume that you're very astute and practical. you have great problem-solving skills, and you have the ability to stay collected even under stressful situations. you're quite logical, but you also a warm, generous heart. you love helping others, as long as they don't try to take advantage of your kindness.

your dominant element is fire. you have a warm heart, even though it may be covered by your confidence and independence. in fact, you always strive for the first place. people may be intimidated by your presence, as you're a serious competitor. thanks to this competitive nature of yours you may be very positive and optimistic, making you a good and supportive friend/partner.

🌎 ascendant in cancer, 15° / 2nd decan ruled by the moon and pluto

with your ascendant in the sign of cancer, you appear way more sweet and approachable than your virgo sun, which is obviously very beneficial for you. being a water sign, cancer risings individuals are very intuitive and emotional, and that is exactly how you approach the world. you rely more on your 6th sense rather than logic, and mixed with your virgo sun you're both logical and empathetic. you can read people's mood very well, it's easy for you to understand whether someone is sad, angry, happy... because of that, you always try to make people feel at ease, you're always kind with people, and that makes you extremely likeable. also, since cancer is ruled by the moon, you're probably a very genuine person. it's hard for you to hide your real emotions, and even if you wanted to hide them you wouldn't be capable. you could also have frequent mood swings. you have a strong sense of family and comfort to you, and hence it's extremely essential for you feel at ease to truly be yourself. let's suppose you're with a group of friends, and they suddenly bring someone with them that isn't very nice; you would probably get very stiff, and your mood would immediately go down. you also tend to be like a mother / sister to others, you hardly ever have superficial bonds. physically, since cancer is ruled by the moon you may have very round and big features to you; you could have big, watery and round eyes with perfect lashes, a button nose, plump lips... in addition, you may be petite or average height, and you could bloat easily.

cancer venus conjunct cancer ascendant: you have the planet of beauty (venus) conjunct your appearance (ascendant). you're surely very attractive! even if you're not a conventional beauty, there's still a certain charm to you that can't get overlooked. you're very feminine and polite, especially with strangers. you care about the impression you make on others, even though you shouldn't worry that much, as it's generally good. you're probably very sociable, it doesn't matter whether you're introverted or not. you still have amazing social skills, and you also have a very charming voice. you literally draw people to you, I imagine it's not hard for you to make new friends and engage in conversations randomly. you also care a lot about the way you look, hence you probably have a skincare/workout routine, and you're fond of shopping and selfcare in general. you want to always look at your best; that's caused by the fact that you're secretly quite of insecure about your looks. you may have the tendency to think that the compliments you receive aren't honest, and people are just trying to be nice to you. another downside to this placement is that you may attract people's jealousy. even though this could be a self-esteem boost for someone, it may be hard for one to handle, in your case especially in relationships, maybe with your friends, but I'll talk more about this later.

cancer ascendant square libra mars: you could say things impulsively, and sometimes you're too blunt and hurt people's feelings. you don't do it on purpose, though, there's no malice behind your acts; it's just your natural way to express your opinions. on the other hand, you probably have a very strong charisma to you that makes you look very captivating and bold. people see you as a leader, and hence they could get intimidated by your presence. to cope with this placement, you can try controlling yourself and your words before speaking. I'm aware that it's a way to vent your anger, but you can find another way that doesn't hurt others.

🌞 sun in virgo, 8° / 1st decan ruled by mercury

this is the least intimidating virgo decan. you probably have a reputation for always being calm and elegant, as you try to avoid conflicts as much as possible. you're very smart and insightful, and you strive for perfection; in a room, you always want to be the best, whether it's fashion-wise, or maybe at work or school. you're a perfectionist, you can't bear being #2. to be perfect, you don't bring others down like aries, though. that's because you want to prove your power to yourself, not to others. it's like a way to increase you low self-esteem. in fact, it depends a lot on your achievements; if you don't meet your expectations, you start going through a hard time of insecurity and struggles. you find beauty in aesthetically-pleasant things, therefore you care a lot about hygiene and possibly about looks too. for example, your house probably looks very neat, and you chose your furniture wisely. you clean it everyday, you can't stand dust or any bad smells. you're also very organized, but you tend to base your life too much on a schedule. you love communicating, despite your taurus moon that definitely makes you more secretive than other virgo suns. your eyes talk for you, though. you're also very introspective, and you're fond of art and creativity in general. you're very critical, both of yourself and of others. you don't do it with malice, though, but you want to frequent people that try to be at their best all the time, just like you after all.

virgo sun square gemini jupiter: this is a hard aspect, which could make you feel even more proud of yourself due to your taurus moon. you may feel like the universe is constantly against you, especially with your pessimistic virgo dominance. you may feel unlucky, or even overindulge in things you like to cope with sadness or anger. you may have the tendency to overeat, buy useless things etc. you go from having a low self-esteem, to even looking very bossy without even realizing it. you struggle to keep your identity balanced, even though you might have not been aware of it at first. to achieve fortune and joy in life, you need to work hard for it. to do so, you have to learn your karmic lessons in this lifetime, which probably revolve around your job and finances.

🌙 moon in taurus, 2° / 1st decan ruled by venus

the moon is exalted in taurus, so it's definitely a good placement! you're very peaceful, you try to avoid conflicts when you can. taurus' most striking feature is that they crave stability, whether it's financial, in love etc. you must be very stubborn, as taurus is a fixed sign, this placement, paired with your imaginative cancer energy, makes you settle on making your ideas concrete, and it's very beneficial. it makes you capable of achieving any goals in your life. you're also very artsy, and you may fancy particular art styles. you have a good eye for aesthetics, and you care a lot about the looks of your house, body, clothes etc. you have excellent concentration, and that is another thing that helps you achieve your goals and make your ideas concrete. last but not least, you're amazingly patient, and that makes you a great friend. probably, they vent a lot of their worries to you, as you're also a great listener.

taurus moon opposite scorpio pluto: your emotions are so intense that they almost scare those around you. in fact, you're prone to accentuated mood swings; when you're happy, you start smiling and laughing joyfully. when you're sad, you're the type to cry, scream, even throw up in some cases. that's how far you go with your emotions. maybe, you also feel repressed to express your feelings exactly for this reason. you probably also have a conservative/possessive mother (or just any member of your family), with whom you don't feel at ease expressing your emotions. or maybe, your mother was absent throughout your life. on the other hand, you can understand others' feelings, but be careful not to use it to manipulate others. you could also be very paranoid, and might develop addictions and anxiety disorders, especially with your sensitive cancer rising.

🗣 mercury in libra, 0° / 1st decan ruled by venus

you're very diplomatic! you always try to be nice and gentle with your words, you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. your tone of voice is extremely soft, sometimes it could even be hard to understand what you say, as you could naturally have a low voice. you're extremely balanced, you have amazing problem-solving skills as you're able to see both side of an argument. it's natural for you to understand what's right and what isn't, and most of the times you're actually right. when you're with someone you're not really close to, you could even be the accommodating type who allows others to speak over your voice, or maybe you let others speak first as a gesture of kindness. I feel like with your mars dominance you have very strong opinions, and you're actually particularly proud of them. luckily, this placement makes you able to communicate them with diplomacy. you could often get angry if someone tries to prove you wrong, but aside from that, you try to be very elegant and formal when you speak. you're probably not fond of cursing, or at least you try to appear as mannered as possible with people you're not comfortable around. last but not least, you're such a charismatic, smooth talker that you result very persuasive. you're able to trick people with your words, which appear very diplomatic and calm.

libra mercury square sagittarius saturn: this placement gives you limitations and lessons regarding the way you think and talk. it may be that you’re too shy to approach others and to say what you think, so you just don’t try. otherwise, if you actually take action and try to overcome this problem, you could get into troubles. that’s probably caused by the fact that you don’t really pay attention to your words. you may be particularly pessimistic, or maybe you lack confidence in social interactions due to these problems, which could be possibly caused by your parents, or perhaps interfer in your relationship with your family. in fact, you may argue quite often with others, and misunderstandings are also common. this is something that gets naturally better with time, but in order for it to happen you need to take action. you may for example start speaking with others more at work, anything that allows you to challenge your mind and voice, in order to make you gain experiences and become a master at it. many celebrities, once they mastered this hard aspect, got loads of success. you can do that too, you just need to work on it.

❤️ venus in cancer, 22° / 3rd decan ruled by the moon and neptune

when it comes to love, you're extremely affectionate. you need someone who connects to you emotionally, it matters way more than physical attraction. in a partner you look at their manners, not at their appearance, and hence you're probably not the type to fall in love at first sight. you most likely dream of building a family with your future spouse, you want to be a parent not only to your child but also to your spouse. you like nurturing others, you may be attracted to younger or even immature people that need to be 'saved' by someone to become mature, or perhaps you're the one who craves to be nurtured in a relationship. you probably love being called 'baby', 'honey', 'sweetheart'... this type of names that you find extremely sweet. you may also get clingy at times, as you're most likely very fond of pda and skinship as well. the downside to this placement is that cancer brings sensitivity to whatever placement occupies. that means that you get extremely sensitive when it comes to love, and hence you may be the type to get extremely sad, even depressed, after a break-up, or perhaps you could start caring more about your partner's feelings than yours, becoming quite accommodating, so beware of that now that you know it. don't forget to keep your individuality safe.

☄️ mars in aries, 11° / 2nd decan ruled by mars and the sun

you're very impulsive, it's natural for you to act before you think. you're motivated to pursue your goals, and even though this is a chaotic placement, I think it's a good match with your taurus moon. it mitigates taurus' laziness. you're a natural born leader, you love being the boss and being seen as a point of reference, even though this could make you seem a bit bossy when working in groups. people may see you as fearless, but that's because you don't think much about your decisions. even if you make a wrong choice, you don't give up and try anything to solve it. in fact, you can't stand losing. you're a serious competitor, you always strive for the 1st place. that's also caused by the fact that, with your cancer rising, you're likely afraid that people could see you as too weak, and then take advantage of your kindness. you're very defensive, but your purpose isn't hurting others, but protecting yourself.

🏡 houses

your 1st house is in cancer, with also your venus sitting in this house. the first house rules the exterior, while the moon, cancer’s ruler, rules the inner part of yourself. that means that the way you look depends on how you are inside; if you’re sad, you may have this very depressed look not only on your face, but also in your eyes above all. or perhaps, you could be the type to be what you eat, so you could gain weight easily as soon as you don’t eat clean. you could also be quite weak, you don’t really have high stamina, you’d rather sleep than work out, but being physical active is extremely important for you. you come across as someone very shy, and you most likely are, even though you give off very good vibes, you don’t look intimidating like your scorpio moon would. venus here also makes you come off as someone very kind and warm, people probably look up to you for your charm. you are probably very smart and you could also be a very smooth-talker. physically, you may also have an heart-shaped or round face, with a defined cupid's bow and doe eyes. possibly, you may also have freckles. the ruler of the 1st house is in the 10th house: you are most likely a very mature individual. you probably love your job, you like being in charge and leading people. you could possibly be a bit materialistic, but you work hard to achieve your goals.

your 2nd house is in leo. your self-esteem depends on matters like money, possessions, as well as your influence on others. you may feel confident when you’re praised and spoiled with compliments and material things, you may enjoy being in the spotlight as it increases your self-confidence, even though you’re quite shy so you don’t feel very at ease. you feel confident when you’re able to earn money and you’re financially stable, and hence you probably felt guilty as a child to ask your parents for money for example. you probably love luxury, you aspire to become very wealthy, live in the house of your dreams, etc. you could also dream of becoming famous. and actually, with this placement, you could make money from leo-related matters, and hence being in the spotlight, creativity (especially theatre / drama), comedy, etc. the ruler of the 2nd house is in the 3rd house: you could possibly gain money through communication, and hence you may become very wealthy thanks to things such as teaching, writing, translating, singing, etc .

your 3rd house is in virgo, with also your sun placed there. you’re very precise and polite in the way you express your thoughts. you’re probably very careful to grammar, vocabulary etc… you love looking and being knowledgeable. you’re more of a logical type rather than an intuitive person, you hardly ever do something only out of curiosity. you’re very cautious about the decisions you make, and hence it could take you some time to finally choose something, but that’s because you just don’t want to regret anything. you think deeply about your choices, and most of the time they turn out to be right. you’re strongly opinionated, but you may be a bit too harsh when you express your ideas. sometimes you could even hurt someone, as you’re extremely honest. you don’t like sugar-coating your words. you’re also very intelligent and hard-working, and you can’t stand messy things. you’re probably very neat, you like having schedules and you may even keep an agenda / diary where you keep track of your appointments and other things you have to do.

your 4th house is in virgo, with also your libra mercury there. this is another placement that points out that you lack something due to your family. maybe they couldn’t spend much time with you, as they were busy with work. or maybe, they were overprotective of you, making you insecure. probably even both. this doesn’t mean that you’re hurt, you may not even be aware that you’re lacking a piece of yourself actually. yet, it’s still there, and it influences you a lot on your day-to-day affairs. it could also be that one of your parents was particularly strict, and hence you had to grow up sooner than other kids. or perhaps it's the opposite, you felt like it was impossible for you to grow up, as you had to depend on your parents.

your 5th house is in scorpio, with also your pluto being here. your hobbies most likely include self-expression of any kind, anything that you consider private is told through your creativity. also, with scorpio in this house, you may as well be attracted to darker hobbies like astrology, tarots… possibly, you may be into thriller or even into horror. you may also like psychology, criminology… this type of things that are able to stimulate your mind in some way. you could possibly want to be a risk-taker, deep down. also, you want to become a master in what you like, and hence you tend to go extreme to become perfect. you may dedicate a lot of your spare time to your hobbies, for example, even if you have to work. your romantic relationships may be very intense, you could attract particularly jealous or even obsessive partners in your life. some of them may be painful, but they’ll be essential to become mature and grow up into a better, wiser person. in addition, I see you as the type of person who doesn’t like showing off their partner. you probably keep both your love interests and hobbies personal, you only talk a little about them to your close, trusted friends, especially with your pluto in this house that makes this energy even stronger.

your 6th house is in sagittarius, with also saturn, uranus and neptune sitting there. you are most likely very dedicated to your routine; you could have some workaholic tendencies, you feel the need to be perfect at whatever you want to do in life. in fact, you probably don’t realize that you work more than you should, as you have fun at work and you also like taking care of yourself. if you’re into exercising, you could be the type to workout everyday even if it’s not necessary because it makes you feel good. or perhaps, you could literally skip your sleep just to finish a book you started writing. you’re used to work hard, and hence you most likely do it with pleasure if it involves something you love doing. you try to be very productive in your day-to-day life, even though you don’t mind including fun and relax in your routine either. you may have a ‘light’ work, that is you could turn an hobby of yours into a job, or perhaps you’ll make lots of friends or even lovers on your work place that will make it more pleasant for you to go to work. you may also be very lucky, you could easily get jobs that offer a nice income for example. your health could be good, even though you may struggle with it at first. you could also be inconsistent with diets or workouts for example, and you could suffer from sudden diseases. you could also suffer from poor mental health too, such as an anxiety disorder for example.

your 7th house is in capricorn. this placement makes you very patient with other people, you could be the type to give other possibilities to others for example. capricorn in the 7th house may also manifest in a lack of romanticism in an individual, but I don’t think it’s totally your case. I assume that you are quite romantic, but exactly because of your romanticism, you tend to get very picky. you want your partner to meet your ideals of perfection, and hence you may often end up not dating anyone, or being let down by your own lovers. actually, you could even be afraid of love, especially because there could be a lot of karma around your relationships. you could have to experience lots of hardships throughout your love life, but they’ll help you become more mature. it’s also recommended to get married after your saturn return with this placement, hence after your 27/28 years. you may in fact attract partners that could be quite moody and unconventional, probably very unpredictable as well. with the ruler of the 7th house in the 6th house, you may marry a co-worker of yours, or maybe your boss. perhaps, you may even meet them at your work place, or you two will work in the same field.

your 8th house is in aquarius. you could possibly have an unexpected yet barely painful death, or perhaps someone in your life has died / will die all of a sudden, you may often experience scenarios of this kind. possibly, you could even die due to electricity, and or at least it will be a very fast death, I don’t see it being violent or turbulent at all. or maybe, you’re surrounded by unpredictable events of loss of any kind in your life. that is, it could also happen with your money. it’s important not to risk too much with this placement, especially with gambling, or you may end up getting in serious problems. you’re fascinated by the occult, and you may even be/been able to talk to dead people. you’re very intuitive, and it’s easy for you to read through people’s words. you may as well have prophetic dreams.

your 9th house is in aquarius again. you’re an avid believer of your philosophical and cultural beliefs. you may be interested in teaching, and you could do it through innovative and technological tools. you’re also interested in foreign music, books, movies and any type of hobby. you may be attracted to genres like thriller, sci-fi… you could also believe in aliens. at school you may be considered particular, almost weird for your interests. you’re open-minded, as you appreciate the differences in people and cultures all over the world. jupiter here gives you the natural need to keep grasping information around not only in school but in your life in general, as knowledge is where you find happiness. you hate being told what to do, you want to be free in the decisions you make. you may have to live unexpected situations, as 9th house is also about experiences. you’re the type to feel proud doing something never seen before, as you aspire to be a trend-setter. this may also manifest in your musical, fashion etc. taste. you’re also very opinionated, and you defend your beliefs pretty strongly.

your 10th house is ruled by pisces, with also your mars and the moon placed there. you may be unsure of your future career, or at least indecisive. you may want to do different things, or maybe you have completely no idea. hopefully, the rest of the reading will shed some light on you. usually, people with pisces in the 10th house’s cusp make great healers, hence you may become a doctor of any kind, especially a psychologist. you may also work in the creative, artistic field, e.g you could be an artist, a writer, a musician etc. finding a career is your ultimate goal in life, and it will most probably include communication and mental stimulation of any sort. it’s pretty much the source of your confidence and energy, what your life revolves around. you may have to connect with people on an emotional level for your job, you could probably pursue a creative career that will allow you to express your feelings. I repeat that you would make an awesome psychologist, as you’re able to understand people’s deeper emotions.

your 11th house is in taurus, jupiter is also placed in this house. you could possibly attract people with taurus traits, and hence your friends could be quite stubborn and possessive, but also very loyal and responsible. they could possibly be wealthy, and they could have some artistic, creative interest and / or talent just like you. you may have some trust issues, you’re careful about who you trust, and hence you’re quite cautious about who you befriend. your long-term goals include financial stability, you may be quite materialistic as you enjoy wealth. yet, I assume that thanks to your water placements you’re not as work-focused as other earth placements, you actually also value emotions and feelings too. I feel like you probably have very big goals and dreams that you want to come true. venus indicates that you’re most likely very lucky, and hence you have the potential to achieve everything you desire. jupiter in the 11th also indicates that you may often befriend people, you may be very sociable and make friends easily or perhaps you just attract lots of people in your life. the ruler of the 11th house is in the 1st house: your ultimate goal could involve being confident, maybe achieving your ideal image of yourself. you may also have friends that are very similar to you personality-wise or even physically.

your 12th house is in gemini. the 12th house is the house of fears and gemini rules over communication, and hence you could be afraid to approach others, you’re very shy. you don’t like speaking in public either, same goes for expressing your opinions. you’re always afraid that people may judge you for your ideas, your interests and for the way you speak. on the other hand, you’re a quite spiritual individual. during your sleep you probably get to have lots of meaningful dreams, even though you may sometimes not remember many of them, or even none. it’s a skill of yours that you’ll be able to embrace once you finally wake up spiritually. as I’ve already mentioned above, you could have prophetic dreams and, with gemini’s presence in this house, spirits, angels and other higher entities may try to communicate with you through your dreams or subconscious. you may also be the type to talk non-stop when you’re drunk, and you may even have a habit of talking to yourself. the moon here indicates that you tend to keep your feelings private, you don’t like sharing how you feel. the best way to get to know yourself is being alone and exploring your inner self, maybe even by using tools like astrology, meditation, tarots, etc. you also tend to have lots of energy and ideas, but you may struggle to take action. you could be quite lazy, in a certain sense, or perhaps your energy consists of sporadic bursts rather than constant motivation.

❤️ love life, soulmates

in love you attract capricorn, pisces, cancer and scorpio placements. your future spouse will most likely have cancer and scorpio traits placements; they’ll be very reliable, mature and responsible m, but also with a warm heart and a hidden insecurity to them, even though they are most likely very possessive. they could be very family-oriented, and they won’t lack passion either. your chart hints that you’ll most likely meet them through your friends, perhape they're going to become your friend first and then you'll start dating. you could possibly also meet online, or perhaps during a tough period of your life, when you're growing up. your children will have heavy scorpio / aries traits; they’ll be very active, especially physically, and astute. they’ll be very attached to you and your family in general, even though they could get too possessive, jealous and immature at times. they’ll be very assertive and atheltic as well.

👶🏻 family life

your mother is probably very hard-working, and she has a strong role in your family. she loves being spoiled and appreciated, together with receiving attention. yet, she could sometimes be quite superficial because of that, but deep down she’s very romantic and mannered. she may have gemini placements, or maybe taurus, libra or virgo. your father is a bit softer than your mother, and he might be a pisces or have any type of fire/sagittarius placement in his chart. your father could be a bit moody and / or unpredictable, and he may also have some addictions in the worst case. yet, he also has a very sweet and outgoing side to him that he may struggle to let out. if you have siblings, they’re probably virgos/ fire signs. you have a very pleasant relationship with them, you're all very playful and generous and you used to always stand up for each other, even though there could have been a bit of competition.

📊 career

you most likely have great communication skills and writing abilities. you’re very logical and precise, you’d definitely do well in a field that requires calm and organization. I can also picture you being an amazing teacher or even professor. based on your other placements, you could also do well at literally any creative career! you may be a dancer, a singer, or even something more complex like a creative director. otherwise, you could also be successful as a designer, an architect, a scientist… something that allows you to be mostly independent, but that can still guarantee you mental stimulation and a decent income, and that also allows you to use your creative neptunian energy. last but not least, I also see you being an incredible healer, therefore you would make a skilled therapist, psychologist or even a nurse.

👚 fashion sense, style analysis

your style is most likely very androgynous, you wear pieces of clothing that are literally suitable for everyone. you probably prefer wearing oversized fits rather than tight clothes, and you're also fond of sweatshirts, big cardigans or jackets, oversized t-shirts... anything that feels very comfortable, but that still has some feminine, classy energy to it. you may like softer, natural shades of colours like white, beige, black, etc. in your clothes, and you could also enjoy prints and graphics on them. you may also be attracted to vintage fashion.

👁 past life, life purpose

during your past life, it was hard for you to get out of your comfort-zone. you preferred staying in your small environment rather than challenge yourself. that made you again awareness of how to act in small communities, but this lifetime you need to go farther than that. you need to prove that what you learned in your past life is the key to nurture your skills, and be able to apply them in a larger environment. you may find yourself travelling a lot, gaining lots of widsom from your experiences... in this lifetime, you basically need to learn through the communication abilities you gained in your previous life.

🤔 major transits analysis / may 26th

since your natal pluto is conjunct your transit moon, you may feel particularly moody in these days. it could be that you’re starting to crave love or communicating in general in the first place, but in addition you also feel the need to change. you may feel very intense emotions, but at least you have a stronger will-power, therefore your manifestations may come true quicker for instance. just be careful not to stress yourself by being too bossy or suspicious. especially since today it's the total lunar eclipse with jupiter in pisces, take it easy! take a day off if you can, or at least try doing something relaxing. luck is on your side, just keep your vibrations high.

🧿 manifest what you want, secret skills

your secret skills revolve around finances and just security in general. with a positive attitude, you may attract material luck: money, clothes, houses… everything that you desire. since you’re a logical person, I assume the most efficient way for you to manifest through the LOA is writing! take a notebook and just write down positive affirmations, such as 'I have the car of my dreams’ etc. you may also write them on post-its and glue them around your house, so that you can accelerate the progress. you can also try to idealize your wish before trying to manifest it. for example, if you want a new sweatshirt, try to imagine yourself wearing it. you could also go into a shop and actually try that sweatshirt it on; being in contact with it will boost the law of attraction even more.

and this is the end! thank you again for booking a reading, let me know if you have any questions :) - libramc xx

#astrology

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thebrownbabywitchisback · 3 years

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A Relationship Reading For Those Meant To See It!!!

I originally made this spread to help predict when an upcoming romantic encounter would take place and what the nature of the relationship would be like. However, I have found that this spread can work well with deity, familial, and friendship readings. So, as you read this, broaden your expectations, as the spread is not limited to romantic relationships!

Also, before we get started, I want to ask that if you relate to any significant portion of this reading, your feedback would be incredibly useful and appreciated by me!

1) Who is the person in question? 4 of Swords, Ludo

The 4 of Swords can represent someone who is wise and isn't afraid to move slowly. This can be a very positive attribute. It shows that they are someone who works at a steady pace and isn't afraid to follow someone who knows a little better than them. This doesn't mean that they are perfect. Like Ludo, we are all capable of lashing out at the wrong people as he does upon first meeting Sarah. However, once this person can identify that a person means no ill-will, they have no problem putting their trust in them.

This person might have a history of trauma. They might have gone through troubles regarding family, work, financial, or health troubles recently. Because of this, sometimes they prefer to work out their problems alone. They like to step away and really evaluate what's going on with themselves and determine the best way to tackle their problems themselves. This is nothing against you, by the way. Some people just work better alone when it comes to these kinds of things. Personally, I feel like it's okay to check in on this type a person. A simple "Are you okay?" or "Is there anything I can do to help?" is fine, but if their answer is that they are okay and they prefer to be alone, it is best to respect that.

2) How does this person see you? 9 of Wands, Jareth and Sarah

The 9 of Wands suggests that this person sees you as resilient and strong--No matter what obstacles life throws your way, they find you still standing and they admire that about you.

This card, however, also comes up when a person has trouble setting boundaries. Being admired by others can be great, but it could also often put you on the receiving end of jealousy or high expectations. Some people might try to attack you or they might not understand that you are a human and not perfect. This could mean the person in question might have trouble understanding personal space or realistic expectations when it comes to you or it might mean they recognize this in others who surround you.

It is interesting that Jareth and Sarah in the ballroom scene is pictured on this card, as Sarah has high expectations for Jareth (as he rants about later in the movie) and Jareth has trouble when it comes to boundaries with Sarah--So, this might be something to keep in mind with this person.

3) Where or when do you meet/does this person have the strongest influence over you? 8 of Pentacles (reversed), Wise Man

You likely will meet/have met this person at a time when your focus was self-improvement. This card could also mean that this person is there to cheer you on when you find yourself at this point. This card also tends to suggest not to strive for perfection. A teacher once told me to always strive for excellence rather than perfection, because perfection is impossible while excellence is obtainable. This person might be there to let you know when you are working too hard and they might try to divert your attention away just to encourage you to take a break. It could also be you that does this for them or maybe both of you fulfill this need for each other.

I think the Wise Man's words fit perfectly with this card: "The way forward is sometimes the way back. Quite often, it seems like we are not getting anywhere when in fact, we are!"

Don't work yourself too hard when you feel like you are not getting anywhere. Don't feel afraid to step back for a while or retrace your steps when you feel lost. You'll get to your goal soon! Try not to worry too much about it.

4) What is the nature of your relationship? Queen of Cups, Sara

I LOVE that this card showed up for the nature of your relationship. This card means that one or both of you is really passionate and caring. Obviously, this is a good quality for a relationship. One or both of you has really good intuition and can sense the needs and feelings of the other person. One or both of you is incredibly giving, but you also recognize when too much is too much. Judging by the appearance of 9 of Wands, however, I'm going to guess that this more describes the other person in the relationship.

The appearance of Sarah on this card, I think, is fitting, especially with the scene she is in. She might follow her heart in searching for Jareth in the masquerade, but when she is given a reality check by the chime of the clock, she knows to break away. Ultimately, at the end of the movie, she defeats Jareth by the phrase, "You have no power over me!"

I think this is important to keep in mind in your relationship. One or both of you might be passionate about caring for the other, but that doesn't make the other person a doormat. It is always important to establish boundaries and respect them!

5) What are the obstacles of your relationship? 5 of Swords (reversed), Jareth

This card reversed indicates to me that one of your main obstacles might be that one or both of you is/are very opinionated. Perhaps things can get so heated that one or both of you will argue to the end with hopes of "winning" the argument, but this is no good. In these situations, there is no gratification in winning, as someone is going to likely end up hurt.

This card can also mean that one or both of you has had some struggles in your life recently and the trauma from those struggles is following you into this relationship. Judging by the 4 of Swords showing up to represent the other person in your relationship, my guess is that this likely describes them. These past traumas might present a challenge to your relationship. Since this card could also suggest the opening of an old wound, I think it's best if I give you a warning: At some point, you may do something to trigger this person and their reaction may match that of someone who has been triggered! This doesn't mean that you do it intentionally, but their reaction might cause discomfort and tension. Your initial reaction might be to get angry at them. Words might be said by one or both of you and things might be done by one or both of you that are regretted later. If you both are mutually interested in keeping the relationship moving forward, it is best for you both to cool off, talk through your problems, and most importantly apologize and discuss how you can handle the situation better in the future.

It's fitting that Jareth appears on this card. He's a very charming character who is obviously interested in Sarah. However, he is constantly putting Sarah in danger because he believes this is what she wants, which explains his exhaustion by the end of the movie that Sarah isn't responding positively to the way he shows his interest in her.

6) The outcome of the relationship. 10 of Swords, Jareth

Yikes! It looks like someone is going to get hurt at the end of all of this!

The 10 of Swords comes when something is going to end in pain. Someone is going to be or feel betrayed. It also might suggest that your initial reaction to this pain is to curl up and accept the role of victim. I think this is okay, because when we are hurt, we are the victim. However, even if the other person hurts you, this card is encouraging you to pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of the other person, and move on as a stronger person with more life experience. And of course, this is not going to be easy, but you will eventually move on a better person.

Keep in mind that you might be the one doing the hurting too, so it's important if this is the case that you take time to allow yourself to acknowledge what you did wrong. It can be easy to poin the finger and play the blame game, but doing this helps no one (especially yourself). The feelings you have surrounding this are important to keep in mind when moving forward. Think about how it feels to hurt another person and to see them hurt, and know this is not something you want to repeat again.

Again, don't be like Jareth. At the final showdown between him and Sarah, he is quick to point fingers and point out everything he feels that she did wrong and how everything he did to put her in danger was for her. Obviously, as an outsider, we can see this is incredibly manipulative. Don't do this!

Also, I want to add that I don't believe card readings are ever set in stone, so even though this spread *today* says this relationship will end in pains, there is always a chance that something could interfere and change the outcome. However, it might also be good to keep this ending in mind to soften the blow if it eventually does happen. Another option is if you want to maybe avoid the potential pain to keep this person at arm's length. Ultimately, you have to decide what is most comfortable for you moving forward. Go with what your instincts say first and *maybe* consider what this reading says.

#general reading #cartomancy #relationship spread #pop culture magic #pop culture witchcraft #witchcraft #witchblr #card readings #playing card readings #witchy things #readings #labyrinth #jareth #sarah williams

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lilithiansun · 4 years

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August 2020 for 𝓖𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓲 💎

Morgan Freeman (Gemini Sun)

♊︎ Gemini Sun ☼

Oracle Card - First Quarter Moon: “Your commitment is being tested” You are half way to your goal but you do feel like giving up because of all the obstacles you have to overcome. This is a test to see how committed you are to reaching your goal. Don’t give up!

The Self & Spirituality - Five of Swords This might be quite problematic if you don’t have enough self-discipline. You are tempted to exploit other people’s weaknesses because you want to win at any cost. There might be quite a few conflicts you find yourself in this month. You are just really scared that others might actually sabotage you or back-stab you if you don’t act first. Spiritually, you will gain in wisdom and spiritual knowledge and might actually be able to pursue a new spiritual path.

Love & Relationships - Two of Cups This might be quite big because, for some of you, I can see a proposal or a marriage in August. Or something that in general deepens your relationship and takes it to the next level. The connection the two of you share both emotionally and physically is something others can be only envious of. If you are single, you might find the special someone for you. A new romance will start and it will be a very promising one. At the very least you will find a person with whom you will have an incredible connection.

Career & Finances - Ace of Pentacles August might bring new beginnings for you career-wise. New job, new promotion, new task, new responsibility. Whatever happens, you’ll find new opportunities to advance your career. Financially, good opportunities should present themselves to you very soon. Be sure to put away some money for more difficult days.

♊︎ Gemini Moon ☽

Oracle Card - New Moon in Sagittarius: “Luck is on your side” Be aware of all the good things that happened to you lately, things that make you happy right now and perhaps even write them down. Smile more! You will realize you have good reasons to do that!

The Self & Spirituality - Six of Cups, The High Priestess, The Lovers You are very balanced and harmonious, wise, intuitive and very sensual. People come to you for advice, because they know they can really trust you. You also seem to really enjoy dressing yourself up. Spiritually, you are very in tune with your Higher Self. Your mind, spirit and body are balanced. Follow your intuition!

Love & Relationships - Ten of Swords This is a painful one. Dramas keep happening to you in your relationship and around you, perhaps even to a point where your relationship might find an ugly end. If you feel like you are happy, perhaps you partner feels differently. Try to solve any underlying issues before it is too late. If you are single, be cautious of who you are meeting up with. People you are dating might not be very trustworthy. Keep your eyes open.

Career & Finances - The Star New opportunities might present themselves to you, but you gotta be ready to take them. This might take the form of anything! New job, new project, etc. If you have been unhappy with your job, perhaps it’s time for you to look for a career path or a new employer? Some of you guys might want to look into careers in the entertainment industry! Financially, this seems to be the right time for small investments. Be aware of all the risks, though.

♊︎ Gemini Rising ↗

Oracle Card - New Moon in Gemini: “Communication is key” Any form of communication is the key to solving your problems. Talk about what is bothering you to someone or try to journal. Anything is fine, as long as you form words.

The Self & Spirituality - Five of Pentacles You seem to be trapped in your head. People see you as an outsider and you are quite unlucky in things concerning social interactions. The negativity you feel inside of you is focused towards yourself as well as the people around you. Try to find what is missing. Spiritually, you feel unfortunate. As if the entire world is against you. Let other people help you, don’t reject them.

Love & Relationships - Two of Wands The relationship you are in seems perfect. You and your partner are a great match and you can feel it intensely this month. Make some plans for the future! This should be a long-term commitment. If you are single, you might meet someone if you are traveling or if you are in a neighborhood you haven’t been in before.

Career & Finances - Three of Wands At work you might have a brilliant idea - something nobody else thought about yet. Or you will have a great business idea. Whatever it is, it might bring you a real opportunity to make money, either on the side or as a main source of income. Some of you might have some business trips in August. Financially, your situation might improve soon, offering you an opportunity to invest some money in stocks for example, or in travelling.

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nyc-uws · 4 years

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Friends

My new old friend. An odd formulation. And yet….

The Hedgehog Review Wilfred M. McClay

I hadn’t ever considered the matter until a few years ago, when I heard a dreamy little number by the jazz pianist Alan Pasqua called “My New Old Friend.” It’s a strictly instrumental affair, a subdued and contemplative piano trio, full of subtle unresolved suspensions and wafting dissonances, conveying a late-night mood of solitary and slightly bittersweet remembrance—one of those moments of quiet grace when the passage of time slows to a crawl, past and present seem to intermingle, and joy and sorrow become hard to tell apart.

But it was the song’s title that captured my attention, even more than the music itself. My new old friend. An odd formulation. But one I’d been looking for, without even knowing it.

It’s not obvious to me why I should have been looking. In a different moment, I would have been far more likely to react against the phrase, striking it down with a reflex of indignant linguistic puritanism. After all, the noble term friend has already been so diluted and cheapened in our times, like so many of our most important words of personal and social connection, that it has become like the Platte River, a mile wide and an inch deep. Such cheapening has occurred not only in our personal usage but in public discourse. When Abraham Lincoln concluded his First Inaugural Address with a heartfelt plea to the seceding Southern states to recall that “we are not enemies, but friends,” the word had great emotive power, describing the very bonds of public affection that were being sundered. Such earnest usage has all but disappeared. Friend as we now use it embraces a particularly large portfolio of evasions and line-blurring maneuvers, especially useful in the hands of diffident teenagers, as in this familiar exchange: Mother: “Who was that on the phone?” Daughter: “A friend.”

As this example illustrates, friend can designate anything from a mysterious or otherwise uncategorizable love interest to a study-group classmate to a business associate to a helpful neighbor to the “friends” who accumulate on people’s social media accounts, where they are as plentiful and enduring as the daily harvest of low-tide sea shells on a beach. The television series Friends (1994–2004) became one of the most successful sitcoms in TV history by depicting a collection of very attractive twenty- and thirtysomethings “hanging out” together as a kind of quasi-family, a light and frothy fantasy that transposed the social life of the college dorm to not-quite-adult life in implausibly toney Manhattan apartments. For its characters, friendship was that relatively flexible and easygoing state of social relations before the hardening categories of adulthood come along.

This resonated with American audiences, including aging boomers who were nostalgic for the friendships of their college days. But when we’re confronted with the far profounder ideas about friendship put forward by Aristotle, the greatest of all writers on the subject, or by C.S. Lewis in his splendid account in The Four Loves, we tend to be nonplussed. Such heights seem beyond us. For Lewis, Friends would have to be considered a show about companions, not friends, since friendship is something weightier and inherently exclusive. In this, Lewis was in tune with the earlier observations of Aristotle: “Great friendship too can only be felt towards a few people…. One cannot have with many people the friendship based on virtue and on the character of our friends themselves, and we must be content if we find even a few such.” Far from being something breezy and easy, like a glass of sparkling spring wine, friendship in the fullest sense is a rare and precious thing, much more like an old single-malt Scotch.

As I’ve said, the Platte River principle has come to apply to many of our words of human connection, perhaps partly reflecting the automatic generosity of the democratic spirit, and also the way we employ the language of false personalization in our speech, routinely appropriating the most charged words in doing so. Some of this is vaguely sinister, as when corporate bosses try to persuade us to think of ourselves as part of “the Sprocket Corporation family,” especially at times when the budget needs cutting. Community is a word that comes in for similar abuse, and has been almost emptied of meaning in this respect, standing for any aggregation that it is politically or financially useful to treat as an aggregate. Here, as in the use of the language of family and almost any other affective term, Silicon Valley has led the way to perdition.

So you can see why I would be initially averse to the idea of “new old friends,” which might sound at first like more linguistic inflation, the equivalent of preripped jeans or “distressed” furniture, something new that is made out to look old, and thus is doubly phony. To make matters worse, as my old friends can readily confirm, I have for years been prone to saying, in an earnest imitation of Shakespeare’s Polonius, that “you can always make new friends, but you can never make new old friends.” And it’s true. There is something irreplaceably special about the people who have been down the road with you—those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried—and whose friendship has endured through the sheer passage of years, through the steady artillery of time, even if such friendships lack the lively intensity of newer ones. People who “knew you when” can never be replaced, and a wise person will not seek to do so.

But such friendships have their limitations. For one thing, it’s not always helpful to be reminded constantly of who you were “then.” Life does move on. And there is also something very true in the Simon and Garfunkel song “Old Friends,” about the two men who “Sat on their park bench like bookends…. / Winter companions… / Lost in their overcoats / Waiting for the sunset…. / Memory brushes the same years / Silently sharing the same fear.” There is a bond being described, if an unutterably sad and resigned one. It is an existential bond of the deepest and most universal sort. But there are some respects in which this “old friendship” falls short of the fullness of friendship as Aristotle and Lewis describe it.

And here I come to the heart of the matter: There is no denying the phenomenon of a new old friend. I have acquired a couple of them in recent years, people with whom I have found a near-instant bond whose depth is hard to explain, whose friendship feels as old and rooted as an ancient sequoia, even though I know it is as new as a sapling. Moving about in such friendships, I’m wary at first, thinking they may be too good to be true, fearing to trust too much in the sensation of oldness, fearing, much as one fears when living in a foreign culture, that my habitual ways of being will suddenly be misperceived or strike the wrong note. There is something deeply mysterious about such friendships, and mystery induces caution, as well as awe.

But perhaps the mystery has to do with the mystery of friendship itself. Lewis remarks that what finally hold us together as friends are not the “unconcerning things,” facts of biography and shared experiences. Of course, one brings the residue of all such things to the activity of friendship. But the friendship itself stands apart from such things. It concerns itself, Lewis argues, with nothing less than a shared quest for the truth about things. In the very act of sharing in this one thing, friends gain access to an astonishing degree of freedom. “In a circle of true Friends,” Lewis insists, “each man is simply what he is: stands for nothing but himself”:

That is the kingliness of Friendship. We meet like sovereign princes of independent states, abroad, on neutral ground, freed from our contexts. This love (essentially) ignores not only our physical bodies but that whole embodiment which consists of our family, job, past and connections.

Friendship represents a rare kind of freedom, an “exquisite arbitrariness and irresponsibility,” as Lewis puts it, precisely because it liberates us into a way of being fully human that rises above all the desiderata and conditioning factors that otherwise impinge upon us, the very factors that form what we are now accustomed to call our “identity.” But why shouldn’t an entirely new friendship have that power, as much as an old one has? Or perhaps…even more, since it is no longer the facts, but rather the search, the quest, that the new old friends share?

Lewis was not alone in connecting the disinterested love of truth and goodness with the highest forms of friendship. “The real community of man,” wrote Allan Bloom in The Closing of the American Mind, “in the midst of all the self-contradictory simulacra of community, is the community of those who seek the truth, of the potential knowers, that is, in principle, of all men to the extent they desire to know.” Bloom, too, understood that the quest for truth is what unites us most deeply and most reliably. The greatness of the Great Books, in his view, was their ability to lift our minds and thoughts out of the realm of contingency and “fact,” into a realm higher and more essential, more conducive to the flourishing of friendship—not as a goal of the quest, but as a byproduct of it.

Maybe this way of phrasing it will sound too specific to the academic world. And not everyone has the time or inclination to reread Plato’s Republic every few months (preferably in Greek). But the larger truth, that the deepest friendship can take root in the sparsest biographical soil if some high and shared animating spirit is present, seems right. I’m guessing that’s how we make new old friends. Though in the end, it is a mystery.

Wilfred M. McClay is G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty and director of the Center for the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma. His latest book is Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story (2019).

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/friends

#Friends

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katehuntington · 5 years

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Title: Ride With Me (part one) Fandom: Supernatural AU Main characters series: Reader, Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer, Ellen Singer-Harvelle, Jo Singer (Harvelle), Benny Lafitte, Ash Miles, Garth Fitzgerald IV, Castiel Novek, and many more. Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader (eventually) Word count: ±4350 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family. Summary part one: Y/N arrives at the airport, but getting to her new internship is easier said than done, when no one shows to pick her up. Meanwhile, at the ranch, Dean learns that his uncle Bobby hired a new intern and assigned her to the head wrangler, and he’s not sure how he feels about that. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: ‘Along The Way’ - Sunday Kids (check out ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify!) Author’s note: Thank you @kittenofdoomage, @coffee-obsessed-writer and @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish for helping me take this story to a higher level.

Ride With Me Masterlist

“This is just great…”

After a long, turbulent flight next to a rather large and sweaty nervous flyer - who had way too much garlic for lunch, by the way - Y/N thought she was done. But now that she’s waiting outside Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with no one in sight to pick her up, it seems that the universe isn’t going to stop toying with her just yet.

To top it off, the weather decided to throw a curveball as well. What happened to the lovely sun rays and dry heat from the brochure? Right now it’s so humid that the fabric of her clothing clings to her skin as if it’s trying to hold on for dear life, and to make matters worse, rain begins to fall from the clouded sky. Right; monsoon season. Oh, well. At least the entrance of the arrival hall offers the traveler some shelter.

With a sigh she sits down on her oversized suitcase, scanning her surroundings for a driver. She should have picked up something to eat in the arrival hall; she could eat a horse, as a figure of speech that is. Obviously, Y/N would never eat a horse, since she loves them more than anything. They are the reason why she touched down in Phoenix in the first place. From the age of four, she’s been riding the majestic animals. Being on the back of a horse is one of the first memories she can recall, now that she thinks of it. When she was a little girl and was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was always the same: she wanted to be a professional rider with her own ranch.

That’s the dream. No, that’s the goal.

Despite her unconditional love for these noble creatures and an overload of motivation to execute this plan, her parents encouraged their daughter to go to college. She even got her master's degree, but truth be told, all she ever wants to do is ride. So when she graduated a few weeks ago, Y/N thought that was exactly what she was going to do from that point on. Her father wasn’t impressed with her business plan, though, and decided that he was only going to lend her the money to start up her own company if she would complete half a year of ranch work. ‘No quitting, no complaints’, is what he said.

Clearly, he’s underestimating her, because how hard could ranch life possibly be? Sure, in the past she spent most of her time riding and not so much mucking out stables. After all, employees at the boarding facility did that for the clients. But she had insight, management skills, and other great characteristics that will help run a business. What are six months of hard labor going to contribute, besides a good waistline?

Although she believes her father’s plan is completely unnecessary, she is going with it. Those twenty-six weeks will pass by in the blink of an eye. It’s gonna be a walk in the park. Smooth sailing, right? Except for the fact that she’s already stranded, alone, and with no clue where to go. Hopefully, the rocky flight to the desert wasn’t an omen for what is yet to come.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, she takes out her phone again. For a second her thumb lingers on the speed dial that would put a call through to her father, but then she looks up the number of the ranch owner in her email and calls him instead. Running back to Mom and Dad is not going to deliver the message of an independent woman who is ready for the big world. Looks like she will have to dig herself out of this mess. Arizona might not have been her Dad’s best idea, but she’s here now. Pride forbids her to give him, or all the others who are skeptical, the satisfaction of being right.

“Bobby, are ya gonna pick up the damn phone or what?”

Dean sets his bottle down on the bar next to the buzzing phone. He glances at the screen, unable to identify the number, and looks up again, searching the saloon for his uncle. At the long table in the center of the lounge, the man in his mid-sixties is enjoying a game of cards and a glass of whiskey, accompanied by a few members of the crew. Bobby hasn’t heard Dean, too busy laughing over the dirty joke Ash just told. Right when his nephew is about to call out his name again, the phone on the wooden counter stops ringing. Oh well, if it’s important they will call again, right? Even though he feels drained from last days' events, he will not let anything take away this carefree feeling. Together with Jo, Benny and a couple of regular guests, they moved the young cattle from the summer pasture up in the Superstition Mountains back to the ranch. It took two days to locate the herd, but eventually, they found them at Weaver’s Needle. After hours spent in the saddle and camping out for several nights, they all needed a shower, a good meal and a cold beer. Bringing the cattle in is one of the highlights of the season and worth a celebration. It didn't take long before wranglers, workers and tourists gathered in the saloon to celebrate. The place hasn’t been this crowded in years and smile appears on Dean’s face as he takes it all in. An upbeat country song - that he recognizes as ‘Along The Way’ by the Sunday Kids - fills the air together with growling laughter and cigarette smoke. Cheers rise when the beer bottles are heaved into the air, overruling the sound of billiard balls colliding on the pool table.

He lets a sigh slip from his lips when he glances aside at Ellen, who just brought back a full tray of empty glasses. As she sets the load down on the counter to give her arms a rest, his aunt smiles, witnessing Dean’s pleased expression.

“Enjoying yourself, sweetheart?” she asks. Dean nods, circling the bar to grab two new bottles of Corona from the cooler. “It’s a good night.” Ellen grants her eyes another look at her saloon as she takes the beer that is handed over; she can only agree. “It sure is.”

They toast to that and take a swig, but before Dean can swallow his drink, the phone on the counter starts ringing again. He guesses it apparently is important and calls out Bobby’s name, a little louder this time.

“I’m in the middle of a poker game, son,” he replies, not looking up from his cards. “Your phone’s been buzzing like crazy,” Dean notifies as he approaches the old man, noticing the pair of queens in his hand. “Is it ringing, really? How come I can’t hear the damn thing?” Ellen scoffs from behind the counter. “Maybe because you need to start using your God-forsaken hearing aids.” “Woman, my ears work just fine,” he returns, continuing to mutter much softer to prevent his wife from hearing him. “I can hear you jappin’, can’t I?”

Dean - who did pick up on his words - smirks in amusement and checks on his aunt if she really didn’t hear her husband, but when she looks from one to the other confused, he wisely keeps his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Bobby grumpily turns his cards upside down on the table surface and takes the phone. The ranch owner adjusts his worn baseball cap a little as he looks down at the screen, puzzled, obviously not sure how to work the piece of modern technology. “How the hell do I pick up?” he wonders out loud. “You swipe it, Dad.”

Jo walks over, interrupting her game of pool momentarily, and leans over her father’s shoulder, still holding her cue stick. With a simple movement, she lets her finger slide across the touchscreen. Somewhat clumsily, Bobby presses the phone against his ear, letting out a hesitant ‘hello?’ as if he’s not completely sure if the little magic trick actually worked.

“You really had to give him your old iPhone, huh?” Dean sniggers when Jo walks past him, back to the pool table to finish the game. “Anything’s better than that old Nokia,” his cousin returns, throwing him a look as she whips her blonde hair over her shoulder. “That thing was prehistoric.”

Dean grins at the remark and observes the game that is in motion on the green quarried slate. Jo is acing it, it’s her turn to shoot the eight-ball in already, while her opponent still has several balls on the play field. The petite blonde positions herself behind the black number eight, throwing a seducing glance at the slick-looking young man on the other side of the table. With a flirtatious sparkle in her eyes, she allows her low-cut tank top to show a little more cleavage as she bends over. It doesn’t go unnoticed with the men in her company, but unlike the guest that she’s reeling in, Dean has the urge to cover up his little cousin. It’s not just a game of pool that these youngsters are going to be playing tonight.

“Sure you want to aim it like that?” Dean asks, amusedly waiting for her to pick up on the double meaning. A deadly glare comes his way and his smirk reaches even wider. Not granting him another second of her time, Jo focuses on the final ball again and pockets it, winning the game. Victoriously, she holds up her hand in front of tonight’s loser, who reluctantly hands her a twenty-dollar bill. A chuckle escapes Dean’s throat and he takes another swig of the sparkling yellow brew called Corona. As he lowers the bottle, the cowboy’s attention shifts to his uncle, who is still on the phone.

“- I’m very sorry, It’s been really hectic today with the cattle comin’ in and it slipped my mind completely.” The apologetic tone in Bobby’s voice piques Dean’s interest. Jo joins him, leaning against the table while resting her elbows on the rails. “Any idea what that’s about?” Dean wonders, but she shakes her head. “- that’s no problem. I’ll send someone to pick you up right away.”

After having made that promise, Bobby eyes his employees, then his wife and daughter, hoping that someone is sober enough to keep his obligation. It triggers Dean to check with his friend, Benny. The brawny wrangler answers the unspoken question by shaking his head, however; he’s not volunteering, and neither is Garth. The skinny stable boy now turns to Ash, catching the ranch hand peeking into Bobby’s cards while his boss is occupied, and he elbows him. Shrugging his shoulders the guy who is rocking a mullet lets out an innocent ‘what?’ under his breath. It’s obvious, though, that Ash is in no shape to drive, since he already drank half a crate of his favorite Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. It’s heading towards eleven PM and after an exhausting couple of days, no one is thrilled to drive out to Phoenix. Not to mention that the amount of liquor they’ve consumed might actually jeopardize getting the person Bobby is talking to from A to B.

“Balls!” the boss curses after he hangs up. “Forgot somethin’?” Ellen assumes from what she picked up, as she continues to polish a glass behind the bar. “Yeah, that new intern from Maine,” he mutters as he gets up. Ellen’s jaw drops, staring at her husband in shock. “You didn’t! That poor gal is at the airport right now?” “Landed forty-five minutes ago,” Bobby admits, embarrassed.

“Whoa, wait! New intern?” Dean’s eyes slide from Bobby to Ellen and back, unable to follow. “Did I forget to mention that? She’ll be under your supervision,” Bobby breaks to him. “What? I wasn’t even notified?!” he exclaims, his voice pitching a little higher than he anticipated. “Oh, don’t be such a drama queen,” Jo scoffs, placing her hand on her hip as she looks at him sideways. “Like you would mind a chick working under you.”

Stunned by her bold comment, Dean cocks his head back as he stares at her wide-eyed; she’s got some nerve! He is about to counter when Jo’s mother already intervenes. “Joanna Beth!” she warns. “Oh, come on. It’s the truth, ain’t it?” her daughter mumbles, stubborn as ever. Ellen doesn’t answer. Instead, her attention shifts to the man who is moving towards the double doors. “And where do you think you’re going?” Bobby turns around, a confused furrow on his forehead. “Well, to pick up the gal, of course,” he returns, stating the obvious. “Like hell you are! You had three glasses of whiskey, Robert Singer. You ain’t getting behind the wheel and that’s that,” Ellen decides with her shoulders back, arms crossed and eyes stern.

Annoyed, but smart enough not to fight the strong-minded woman he married thirty years ago, he addresses Dean with a hopeful look. “Don’t look at me, this is my fourth beer,” he returns, holding his hand up innocently. “Same here, boss,” Benny copies, his southern accent thick on his voice.

“I’ll go.” Jo straightens her back and takes her cowboy hat from the corner of the pool table. “You sure, honey?” her mother checks with her. “I had one drink, Mom. You’re not gonna find a more sober person on the ranch at this hour,” she claims bored. “Keys?” That last demand was meant for Dean. “Keys to what?” he questions, furrowing his brow. An eye roll, a sigh. Jo’s typical routine when she’s done with her cousin. “Your car, asshat.” “What’s wrong with yours?” “I have a flat. Now, are you gonna hand me the keys, or what?” she says smartly.

Jo holds up her hand and with a reluctant grunt, Dean tosses the keys of his precious ‘67 Chevrolet El Camino pickup. Skillfully she catches it, beams at him in triumph, and makes her way to the double doors. “If I find a scratch on her, I’ll make you regret it!” he shouts, loud enough for her to hear. “I’d like to see you try!” she scoffs.

A few moments later, the V8 big block under the hood of his beloved car starts up. Jo doesn’t even bother to warm up his baby before she races down the dirt road towards the big city down in the valley, skitting gravel from under the tires. Dean cringes when he hears her take off; someone’s gonna pay for that.

He will deal with her when she gets back. Until that time Dean settles down at the long table, watching the poker game. Obviously, Ash folds the moment Bobby raises the stakes, leaving the ranch owner with fewer chips than he hoped to win. “Can I talk to you for a second?” Dean requests before Garth starts dealing the cards.

Bobby looks at his nephew from under his cap, observing him for a moment. He knows that kid. He spent a few years of his childhood on the ranch and the young man has been working here since the age of fourteen. The boy is like a son to him, so no wonder he can read Dean like a book. Something is bothering the wrangler, and so he gets off his chair and moves away from the crowded table. Shadowed by the cowboy, Bobby heads towards the corner of the bar, seeking a little privacy. They sit down on the bar stools, facing Ellen on the other side of the counter. Her husband doesn’t bother asking her to pour him a drink, because she is on it before he barely has the chance to settle in his seat.

“Here you go, boys.” She puts down the filled whiskey tumblers on the varnished wood. Dean thanks her and takes the glass in his hand, clanking it into Bobby’s, who mutters ‘cheers’ as he does so. After watching Ellen enter the kitchen, the older man shifts his gaze to the man accompanying him. “What’s on your mind, son?” he asks.

Dean adjusts himself a little, preparing for the upcoming conversation. He doesn’t like to question his uncle, who also happens to be his boss. This is the part where it gets tricky to keep work and family separated. He has to speak up, though, because lately, he has the oppressive feeling that Bobby might not trust him entirely when it regards the management of the ranch. Obviously, the owner calls the shots, but he used to involve Dean whenever decisions needed to be made. It’s bothering him and he needs to get it off his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me you hired an intern?” he wonders.

Bobby grunts softly, averting his eyes to his drink as he circles the tumbler on its edge. He knew this talk was coming and instantly regrets keeping Dean in the dark about recent developments. His nephew is an exceptional horseman, loyal to his family, a trustworthy worker. A little relentless when it comes to risks and danger, and yes, an impulsive womanizer, but there’s one thing he isn’t and that’s stupid. He’s Bobby’s right hand for a reason, he should have known he would pick up on something.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t approve,” he admits, taking a sip. Dean scoffs at that. “If you knew I wouldn’t be okay with it, why did you hire her?” “Because she’s free help, Dean.” “Is she any good? Did you look into her?” His head wrangler eyes him, trying to make out how thorough he has been in his research. It doesn’t take long before his uncle’s guilty expression gives it away. “You didn’t even interview her, did ya? You just said ‘yes’? Look, I know things have been a little difficult since Gabriel left, but we’re managing fine now,” he assures him. “Educating a wannabe cowgirl is actually gonna cost me valuable time and there’s a lot of shit that needs sortin’. We have to bring in the two-year-old stallions, the calves need branding, the young stock has to be moved to the winter pastures--” Bobby interrupts Dean’s ramble by holding up his hand to shush him, intervening the moment he has an opening. “You don’t have to worry about the young stock, I’m selling it.” Stunned, Dean stares at him. And when was Bobby planning to tell him this? “Why the hell would you do that?” he questions, unpleasantly surprised. Before his boss can answer, Dean can make an estimated guess already. The concerned look in Bobby’s eyes when they meet his green ones confirms it; money is tight, very tight. The crisis has laid the ranch in a thick suffocating smog of debt and so far it doesn’t look like the air is going to clear anytime soon. Hay prices are sky high while their stock sells for half the price they used to go for. It has been hard to keep their heads above water, but so far they’ve been able to ride out the economic recession, so Dean thought. But now that Bobby’s telling him that the one-year-old cattle has to go, it dawns on him how serious the situation is.

His jaw clenches as he observes the ice in his glass for a moment, pondering in silence. And just like that, the careless happiness he was experiencing a moment ago, is gone. “You wanna sell all of them? Or just the steers?” he checks. “All of them,” Bobby sighs, downing his drink. “How you wanna handle that next year? Buy in again? It’s gonna cost you a lot,” Dean responds, trying to think of another way. “Right now, all we need to worry about is surviving this year, son.” Bobby pauses, now comes the bit that he wanted to avoid. Drastic measures are necessary for the survival of their home. Maybe the term ‘sacrifice’ is a better way to describe what he’s about to announce. “That’s why I need you to let one of the wranglers go.” Shocked, Dean stares at the man in his company. Not looking him in the eye, Bobby forks his fingers together, resting his elbows on the counter. “You want me to fire one of my men?” Dean recaps in disbelief. “No, let me correct that, you want me to fire one of my friends?” “What you do with your colleagues in your spare time should not influence a layoff,” the ranch owner counters. But his nephew disagrees strongly. “That’s bullshit and you know it. These guys are practically family, Bobby.” “You think I don’t know that, boy? I ain’t happy about it either, damn it! You think I’m proud of having to send one of those guys home?”

He nods at the workers, who are laughing loudly as Ash folds his tattooed arms around the mountain of chips that are stacked on the table, reeling in the win. Neither he, Benny, or Garth have a clue what is hanging over their heads, but it’s probably better that way. Only now does the head wrangler understand why Bobby didn’t tell him before. The poor man simply didn’t want to burden him.

“I have to. For the future of this place, Dean. And I wish I didn’t have to ask you to do this, but you know your crew best. You know who’s most needed and who we can miss,” Bobby explains with empathy. Dean wants to fight this, he wants to object and argue in every way possible. Who he can miss? He can’t miss any of his men. Shit, after they let Gabe go, they were barely able to round up the daily routine before dinner. But he knows how this works and he knows Bobby would do anything to make sure that the boys can keep their jobs. There is no right or wrong answer here, every option behind any door is a bad one. There’s nothing the boss can do about it and Dean understands that. “I know. I’ll handle it. Just give me a couple of days and I’ll let you know,” he assures, patting his uncle on the shoulder. Bobby nods, but is unable to break a smile. He’s carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders, go figure when you have to play God like that. It’s exactly the reason why Dean took on the task to fire one of the workers, hoping that it would relieve his surrogate father a bit.

“I need another drink,” Bobby mutters, reaching for the Jack Daniels behind the counter. Dean checks on his uncle from the corner of his eye, but then puts his glass down next to his. “You and me both. That intern better be good. Do you know anything about her?” “I know she’s a reining rider, pretty damn talented too. Not much experience in ranch work, though,” the ranch owner tells him. “Blonde? Brunette? Cute?” Dean smirks as he fishes for more information, but Bobby doesn’t reply with a straight answer. “Oh, hell no. Not under my roof,” his father figure decides, having seen this play out numerous times already. “She’s staying for six months so tie a knot in it and keep it in your pants for once.”

“If she sticks around that long.” The young man scoffs, triggering Bobby to glare at him. “What? We had plenty who went home crying within a week. This work ain’t for everyone.” “I know you’re not happy with the situation, but do me a favor and just give her a chance, will ya?” Bobby pressures. “She seemed like a go-getter. She might surprise you.” “Maybe. We’ll see,” Dean downs his glass and slides off his stool.

Bobby watches his nephew walk away from him. It takes only a second before the charismatic cowboy put on his poker face, just in time, because Garth signals him to come over. So he does, but his next step shows a hint of hesitation. He turns on the heels of his boots, the thumb of his left hand casually hooked behind his belt buckle. “What’s her name?” Dean asks, narrowing his eyes a little. Bobby huffs and casts his gaze at him. “Her name is Y/N,” he states. “Y/N L/N.”

Dean raises his brow, nodding satisfied. Y/N. Sounds good, has a nice ring to it. Curious he imagines what kind of person would fit a name like that and as a perky smile starts to form on his lips, he joins the guys.

Bobby can spot the up-to-no-good sparkle in his nephew’s green eyes and he can’t help but smile into his refilled glass of Jack. He can point a parenting finger at Dean all he wants, but if this intern is his type, he’s going to charm her right into his bed like he has done with so many women already. Oh, well. We’ve all been young, he thinks to himself. Dean being a wrangler only stacks up the number of girls dwelling at the pretty boy’s feet and he never failed to take full advantage of that. Who can blame him, really? He hasn’t committed to anyone yet, why not make the best of it? It has cost the ranch owner some money, though, since a client or two never returned after getting their hearts broken. The boy better listen this time.

For a moment he takes in what’s playing before his eyes. His wife having a good conversation with a group of guests, the crew gathered around the long table where Ash just revealed a full house, causing the men to go out of their minds. It’s a nice moment that will make a great memory. Bobby can only hope that those moments keep coming, because no matter how precious, no man can live on memories alone.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part two here

#Ride With Me #Dean x Reader #Dean reader insert #Cowboy!Dean #Cowboy!Dean x Reader #Dean Winchester x Reader #Dean Winchester x you #Dean Winchester x Y/N #Dean x you #Dean x Y/N #Dean Winchester reader insert #Supernatural fanfiction #SPN fanfiction #SPN AU #Supernatural AU #Dean Winchester AU #Dean AU #Dean fanfiction #Kate Huntington

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homeremodelingatlanta7b · 4 years

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Determining a Kitchen Remodeling Budget

Basement remodeling atlanta

It is very important to find out a financial budget for virtually any do it yourself project, and kitchen remodeling isn't exception.

A thing of caution: I spent hrs researching kitchen remodeling cost and budgeting online to accumulate data with this article. I ran into a few websites that gave size pricing for kitchen remodeling. Although I commiserate using look for an easy approach to determine remodeling pricing, this kind of advice just isn't based in reality. Remodeling jobs normally are so specific to the conditions of the building and tastes from the homeowner that no square footage pricing is ever going to starting point. I additionally encountered many sites that didn't offer you any real information about establishing a budget but basically interpreted Hanley Wood's Remodeling Cost vs. Value report that's published annually. You happen to be far better off going to the Cost vs. Value report on the web and evaluating the final results yourself.

home remodeling marietta

Like other things in this world a kitchen remodel will cost more than you thought it would and the sky's the limit about what it can cost determined by your preferences. You can find multiple factors that go into determining a remodeling budget.

There are numerous places online you can check out help you establish a basic budget number to start with. Our recommendation is Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report which is released by region and major city each year. The truly nice thing about this report would it be provides description from the "average" project to help you gauge in case your kitchen remodel is going to fall above or below the benchmark. Furthermore, i find their average pricing to be an exact reflection in the pricing for our company, so by recommending to clients before I even talk to them that they can investigate this report they are prone to begin a realistic budget we could work within to present them an incredible kitchen.

Custom Hutch designed with Semi-Custom Cabinets

While Remodeling Magazine's report is quite helpful, it is a very one size fits all method of establishing a budget. Continue reading if you want to try to hone your numbers a little.

Escape a pad and paper and jot down several notes about each factor along the way through their list:

Factor 1 Home Value- Consider not merely how you feel your home is worth, but also the price of similar homes where you live that curently have updates. The best site to check home values is zillow.com, simply enter your address and you also have an interactive map with home along with other information listed right on the map. Pay attention to which homes are of similar size to yours, happen to be purchased recently, but have a higher value, then peek in their windows to determine exactly what the house looks like. Ok, seriously, I became only kidding. Should you not know them perhaps it's time to meet the neighbors and ask for a simple tour.

Factor 2 Wow! - It is everything to use your primary goal and motivations. Write down each motivational factor which can be crucial that you you in the kitchen remodel. Here are several possible examples: Kitchen is falling apart. You want to cook and the layout doesn't suit you. You love to entertain and want to start living rooms like a place to gather. You need a kitchen that wows your guests. You get able to sell your own home and also the kitchen is really a sticking point with buyers... Now that you have your list, determine what motivations are most important and relist them in motivational order. Imagining your financial allowance beginning in "the middle" pay attention to which factors might move the budget up or down...i.e. attempting to remodel to encourage sales might slowly move the budget down, remodeling to wow guest might max it...etc.

Factor 3 Did someone say AGA? - List any "must haves" for a kitchen remodel to become worth the cost to you personally. Possible examples: granite counters, a tropical with an extra sink, an extra dishwasher, an advert quality gas range, etc.

Factor 4 Longevity- Determine to the best of what you can do the length of time you intend on owning the home.

Factor 5 Size Matters- Determine what amount of your property your kitchen encompasses. A sampling well over 100 modern home floorplans of 1000 to 3000 square feet homes revealed the average kitchen size to be 7% from the home's sq footage. If your kitchen is greater or smaller than this average you might need to decrease or increase your allowance accordingly.

Factor 6 Layout- should you may have learned you're going to want the sink moved, hawaiian isle sink added, an enclosed wall moved plus an exterior door added, you will want to add money on your budget well past such a basic facelift would cost.

Tricky layout: the decorative column conceals a sound wrapped drain pipe

Factor 7 Funding- Determine the maximum amount money you could manage to spend. If you're financing your project you are able to calculate such a lender will likely lend you. Lenders are interested in a personal debt to income ratio(DTI) of.36 or less. Your DTI is established by taking all of your monthly debt obligations (credit card payments, automobile financing, mortgage, etc.) and dividing from your monthly income. To discover your maximum safe monthly debt multiply.36 times your monthly income. Now subtract your existing monthly debt out of this number and you've got a monthly budget maximum. Here is a connect to a calculator that will perform the math for you personally: mortgage calculator

Putting it All Together

The key to managing your finances are choosing the amount of your home's value you should use being a budget guideline. While researching this article I discovered recommendations to make use of percentages starting from 10% to 25% of home value. For any kitchen remodel of any substance that features new flooring, appliances, cabinets, sink/faucet, lighting and bringing electric approximately code I have discovered anything below 15% to become very dubious number. I guess on a million dollar house 10% will be a workable budget, but on the 200k house a 20k affordability is marginal at the best for the complete kitchen remodel.

If resale value is very important for your requirements it is wise to keept the cost of your home renovation project within 20% of the present worth of your home. Staying within this range insures that the majority of the brand new kitchen's price is recouped in increased home value immediately, and the remaining cost must be recouped within 5 years because your home appreciates.

Ok, let's put into practice one example. Remember, there is no exact formula here. We have been simply doing good to become as informed as you possibly can and create a wise decision about how exactly much to spend on the kitchen remodel.

For the example let's use the house. It's a 50's cape cod with a modest square footage of 1500.

Factor 1 value: Zillow provides me with an estimated price of $167,500, however, I notice zillow hasn't yet updated and taken into account the single homes which are recently integrated the sector behind us with a starting expense of $270k. Zillow also has our square footage listed at under 1200. Looks like the previous owner did a bit remodeling with no permit. I am going to base my budget with a expense of 180k which is similar to other houses locally which might be exactly the same size.

Factor 2 Goals: My family and i want to entertain guests. To create a kitchen remodel worthwhile for all of us we must lose an interior wall to spread out up the kitchen and dining nook on the family area. I am going to add 1% to plan for this.

Factor 3 Most important items: As being a former chef two most important items for me personally are a new oven as well as a really nice propane range(no gas main service here), preferably an advertisement range modified for your kitchen at home (real commercial ranges lack insulation throughout the oven, critical for home safety). I am going to add another 1% to my budget to make certain there's enough money to acquire me my range and propane installation.

Factor 4 Longevity: We plan to be in the house at the very least 4 years. Generally of thumb it will take Five years for most remodeling to achieve and recoup all of its cost. Because we will probably be at least Five years I'm not gonna penalize the budget, consider there's a good chance we'll move right around Five years That's not me gonna increase it like I might whenever we were staying considerably longer.

Factor 5 Size Kitchen: The kitchen at home is approximately 140SquareFeet(SF). That's over 9% of the SF of your home, 2% excellent. Obviously this kitchen is going to require some extra material and cabinets. I'll in the budget 1% with this, I am hoping it's enough.

Factor 6 Layout: We are going to customize the layout of our kitchen pretty extensively. We currently use a cooktop peninsula. The product range will probably use a differnet wall as well as the dishwasher will move to the peninsula, though organic beef ditch the peninsula, slowly move the fridge and add hawaiian isle instead. About the only stuff that won't move may be the sink. I will add another 1% to my budget, again hoping $1800 (1% individuals 180k value) is enough to cover the electrical and plumbing changes.

In my base I am going to use 20%. Because i mentioned earlier on, you'll find gonna be people who will argue with me on that, but going lower often doesn't leave you with workable budget numbers for full blown kitchen remodels. I'm adding 4% according to my factors in the above list. I adjusted my zillow.com estimated home value to 180k depending on the comparable size and value of other homes around me. This provides me a working budget of 24% x 180k= $43,200 When I match it up to the Cost Vs. Value report I see that in the centre Atlantic Region an important Kitchen Renovation is $59, 098. It looks like my budget could be bit low, especially since i have really would really like granite countertops along with the Cost Vs. Value specs necessitate laminate tops. Conversely the kitchen at home is really a lot small compared to their 200SF benchmark, i really think I'll opt for my budget number and discover what my contractor can perform personally because budget.

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illegalastrology111 · 5 years

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KARMASTARS: FEBRUARY 16TH - 22ND

ARIES

MONEY: As Mercury retrograde begins on the 16th - March 9th, pay attention to detail and avoid important decision making initiated because of clouded judgement. This is a transit to lay low and re-evaluate everything for the next three weeks. Success depends on it.

SEX: Try to be as honest as you can with your partner, even though you think/feel this could have adverse affects. In the end you’ll be glad you did.

POWER: During the next three weeks slow down and don’t be in such a rush to get things done, because with Mercury retrograde mistakes will be made. This is a time to reassess your accomplishments so far.

TAURUS

MONEY: This Mercury retrograde could be an excellent time to create new ideas for making money, if you can put time aside to “tune into” upcoming trends that are on the horizon and lay-out a plan of action once Mercury as novel forward. Doin’t second-guess yourself, if you feel your ideas are too bizarre. Chances are you’ll be way ahead of your peers.

SEX: Have more optimism when it comes to love. If you’re willing and able to meet your partner/lover half-way they’ll respond accordingly and the relationship will become stronger.

POWER: Use the energy of your opposite sign Scorpio to transform ideas into something big, that the public will grasp with open arms. Your sign is that of money, material possessions and personal resources, so have the the self-worth (also Taurus), to expand your mind to see the “bigger picture”.

GEMINI

MONEY: With Mercury retrograde in Pisces February 16th - March 9th, you’ll probably have to deal with certain individuals in authority/power and.or connected to goals and ambitions.. These will be individuals from the past who have let you down, not followed through with promises or commitments. Be careful how you interact with them, it would be wise not to pursue any type of business/financial transactions or negotiations with them at all. This will spare you further disappointment or delay in plans.

SEX: As long as you and your partner can agree to some kind of commitment that makes you both happy, everything in love will run smoothly.

POWER: During Mercury retrograde it would be best to trust your own counsel rather than that of others. The possibility of miscommunication is very high, but need not occur.

CANCER

MONEY: Instead of initiating new creative ventures, expanding horizons, learning something new, first give deep thought as to whether the timing is right. The answer is no, because Mercury is retrograde for three weeks and with it comes a lot of problems, delays and mistakes. For now, it would be wiser to contemplate your next move, plan for the future with great discernment and attention to detail.

SEX: Keep your feet on the ground and avoid getting too carried away with love, to the point you lose touch with the reality of what is going on between you and your partner.

POWER: Mercury retrograde in Pisces will also lead you to question what you believe to be true, either because of experiences that occur or something said during the cycle. Either way, your beliefs about life will be challenged and at the end of this retrograde cycle , you may find that the things you thought were real and true were not.

LEO

MONEY: Past karma will resurface during Mercury retrograde that will probably be uncomfortable to deal with. Best course of action is to deal with situations slowly, being mindful in he area of joint financial partnerships, how you’re being perceived. Don’t think for one moment you’ll get away with things that need to be confronted, because always, sooner or later the Universe will remind you.

SEX: Don’t allow wearing rose-colored glasses blind you to deep rooted issues that need resolution between you and your partner.

POWER: This Mercury retrograde could be an emotional cycle for you, especially when dealing with women. Therefore, take a deep breath and don’t let fear take control.

VIRGO

MONEY: Anything of a visual nature for public consumption should be looked at very carefully during Mercury retrograde. This is the time to create, redo and reassess what you have done so far, or make a concerted effort to complete projects by the time the retrograde is over. This is important if you want to make money from new ventures. Time is of the essence and you don’t have much left to put things in place, before retrograde season begins April through November.

SEX: A week to restate commitment and solidify the foundation of love with your significant other. You’ve come a long way in this area of life and know that it’s worth it to keep up the good work.

POWER: You have the capacity with careful wise planning to achieve a lot by using creative talents. However, belief is the key. Knowing that you have something special to offer that is of worth and value.

LIBRA

MONEY: This week’s Mercury retrograde will take affect in the area of work. Situations that you’ve been through before, dealing with people who aren’t necessarily upfront with information or mislead will be the scenario you have to deal with, yet again. Read between the lines of everything presented to you and if something is not understood, go to the source directly. Pay attention to detail and avoid signing papers until the retrograde is over.

SEX: In the area of love be true to what it is you know will make you happy in love and don’t settle for less without compromise that is mutually agreeable.

POWER: If you keep things practical and straightforward and if necessary write things down for clarity, a lot of confusion can be avoided over the next three weeks.

SCORPIO

MONEY: It’ll be hard to keep up with commitments in career and goals because of Mercury retrograde in Pisces for three weeks. While this is occurring, plan for the future and put ideas and work to be done in some type of organized structure. At the same time avoid getting too caught up with extracurricular activities that waste time. Even though this is a retrograde cycle, it means something needs to be redone or looked at again for mistakes.

SEX: Love will go well if you keep your feet f firmly on the ground and avoid being too engrossed with the fantasy of love and what is going on between you and your partner, especially the physical aspects. Don’t take them for granted and remain sensitive to their needs.

POWER: You may feel as if you can accomplish anything, the sky is the limit. This is true, but any achievement will happen with a clear focused plan of action, otherwise you’re likely to come “crashing down” to earth when reality hits.

SAGITTARIUS

MONEY: Your foundation of life is definitely in need of an overhaul, but you must take one step at a time in order to get things done correctly. Once you’re able to decide what exactly it is you want to change then everything will start to move forward in the right direction. This i s what you must do during Mercury retrograde. Anything of a visual nature, once transformed and simplified will bring you tremendous success.

SEX: You r partner may not be all that they appear to be on the surface and whether you know that or not it’s time to deal with the reality of this fact and see them for who and what they are. If you continue to give them qualities they don’t have, you only have Self to blame for your unhappiness.

POWER It’s quite possible that during the Mercury retrograde cycle certain relationships that have a future dissolve or aspects of the relationship that need to go are revised/brought to the surface. Either way, there’s next few weeks will be a time of “cleansing” in many ways.

CAPRICORN

MONEY: It’s possible during this retrograde cycle that individuals involved in projects, plans and ideas may omit certain pieces of information that you need to know about and should therefore read any documents, rules etc. very carefully before you agree to move forward into new horizons. In addition, this isn’t the best cycle to actually begin something new, it will be fraught with problems, difficulties and delays of all kinds. It would be wise to wait until the retrograde is over before starting new beginnings If you don’t understand something, ask.

SEX: Make sure all communication with your partner is clearly understood, There is a danger of miscommunication during the retrograde transit.

POWER: Pay attention to dreams and meditations (a by-product of Mercury retrograde in Pisces), because there will be many insights provided that will help you deal with present situations in your life.

AQUARIUS

MONEY: Money, material possessions and self-worth will all be highlighted during the Mercury retrograde cycle, February 16th - March 9th. You will be dealing with situations form the past, some connected to visual projects and work that somehow went awry/brought sorrow and elf-undoing. Tread with care and don’t allow certain individuals to mislead you into believing other than what you know to be true. Trust your instincts. This way you’ll steer clear of any further negativity directed towards you.

SEX: Friends and lovers are a good combination if you can actually create a relationship on this basis. It can be done and if you avoid becoming detached from your partner, (an Aquarius habit), consciously or unconsciously, love will bloom.

POWER”: Doors from the past you thought were closed could reopen during this retrograde. However, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want certain individuals back in your life. The question is how negative are they and what were the reasons that caused you to walk away from them? You know the answer to these questions.

PISCES

MONEY: When it comes to getting things off the ground you may find, during Mercury retrograde, that individuals don’t follow through with right action, not living up to your expectations. Also, the fact that this happened before and those responsible come back into your life. Don’t be so quick to let this happen, or agree to anything they’re offering, because you’ll end up with a minus instead of a plus. Carefully assess the situation and then decide what you want to do or not do.

SEX: This isn’t a good time for making commitments or promises in love. Least of all starting a new love-relationship. Promises made will be later broken and more than likely bring a great deal of upset and sorrow. Keep things practical and easy-going for now, at least until this cycle is over.

POWER: Beware of being too idealistic and having expectations of people and situations that just can’t be met, unfortunately. This is because Mercury is retrograde in your sign and you must be clearly focused and exercise great discernment more so than usual in order to avoid disappointments. If people let you down, chalk it up to experience and “lessons” from the Universe.

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lukaramo · 4 years

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How to Slow Your Life

Two years ago, on a brightly lit stage in West L.A., Maria Shriver asks me this:

But how? How do you do it? What would you tell someone who wants to slow their life, but can’t? Who feels totally buried already?

I pause, blink at the lights. I say something about how there’s no easy formula, how it’s different for everyone, but how we can start by simply paying attention. Get off the phone. Breathe. Survey our lives, look for triggers, invite passion into the day.

But of course there’s more.

I’m a firm believer that living slowly is possible in any season. It takes practice, of course, to see past the mechanics of it all – to peer at your current circumstances and call the whole lot of a gift. It takes practice to remind yourself that perfection is not just around the corner, that arrivals do not exist, that a better set of circumstances do not necessarily lead to a better life.

After all, slow living has never been about logistics. It’s about linguistics.

—

The question is not what slow living looks like, who can achieve it, how to master it, where to do it. The question is not “What is slow living?” but instead is “What is slow living for?”

And the answer is simple: Each other.

Slow living is for connection, for community. For looking a crossing guard in the eye when we thank them. For making the time to help the woman in aisle 9 find the olives. For having the space in our day to welcome an impromptu visit from neighbors, for having the space in our mind to open the door wide even though the hallway’s a mess.

It is thinking about the way we live, and asking ourselves why.

—

And so, of course we can all do this. In any season, at any moment.

But if you feel buried, here’s a shovel:

Do not victimize yourself. You are not buried alive until you are buried alive. Call it what it is; resist the urge to exaggerate your current state of living. Chances are, if you are reading this, you’re noticing a bit of a chasm between the life you lead and the life you want to lead, and here’s a secret: we all have this chasm. We all have this gap. There is nothing broken in you that is not broken in everyone. We are each conditioned to want something different than what we have been given. And so, you have two options: (1) Chase someday, or (2) Accept today. I recommend the latter. Remind yourself that you are here, breathing, alive and well(ish). For now, let that be enough.

Notice it. The trick, then, is to notice the chasm. So what, you’re not yet who you want to be? Who is? Live with the tension. Cozy up in the space between; get comfortable with the discomfort. This is life, in all its glory. Do not numb it. Do not wish it away hoping for days void of hardship. Once you’ve noticed the chasm, you’re well on your way to the good work: figuring out what it means to live a life that’s ripe with limitations and riddled with lessons, but resounding in love.

Consider your compass. We’re not talking goals here. Life is immeasurable, with a path that winds in the most unfathomable, incredible way. Rather than setting a goal to encourage the arrival, consider setting a compass to encourage the journey. A compass guides graciously, rather than mandates mercilessly. It offers a gentle whisper that yes, you’re headed in the right direction. It is ever-necessary in navigating your life with conviction and curiosity, rather than convention and conformity. Find your compass in something unchanging, something that you deem true and stable and secure. (Mine is here.)

Put on your boots. Listen. I know what it’s like to have a crippling mortgage. I know the stress of mounting medical bills, of mouths to feed, of requesting overtime hours under fluorescent lights. There is much of this in my book, and so I will simply cut to the chase: after the 2008 financial crisis, Ken and I fought hard to carve out a life with little-to-no overhead. We budgeted only for needs, not wants. We spent weekends and evenings building separate freelance portfolios, quitting our weekday 9-to-5s once we’d created sustainable demand for our work. We ate peanut butter sandwiches for dinner and called it lovely. We moved to an area where purchasing a home in cash was possible, even probable, where we could live a flexible life that wasn’t dictated or constrained by finances. I quit shopping for sport. We gave generously. We simplified in every area possible, and yes, there was a trade-off (there is always a trade-off). It was ever worth it.

Forget “but.” You will be tempted to resist making a change because of the “but.” But what will our family think? But what will my career look like? But what if it’s too hard? It is wise to survey the “but,” to consider it a lesson in preparedness, to let it inform your plans. And then it is wise to proceed anyway.

Allow failure. We needed to live the fast life to understand why we needed to live a slower one. We needed to chase the wrong things, to learn the hard lessons the hard way. The failing nearly always comes before the learning, and sometimes, yes, even after the learning. It is an impossible step to skip. Allow it. Learn from it, and re-learn from it again and again.

Walk ahead. Take one step; start small. Experiment. Ask yourself what area of your life brings the most stress, currently? Get specific. What stumbling blocks are ahead? Move them, or move around them. My girlfriend dreads picking up the dry cleaning, so she now keeps a strict No Dry Clean Only clothing policy in her home. Another friend despises her inbox, so she rewards herself with a Skittle for every email answered. Infuse tiny joys into your day in whatever way you can. You have far more power over this than you think.

Lighten your load. We are a culture of more. When we see a roadblock, the temptation is to throw more stuff at the problem – distract, distract, distract. And yet, often times, the solution is to offer less. I know a mother of eight who felt buried in dish duty, but instead of adding a dishwasher, she simply offered less dishes: One plate/glass/utensil per day, per kid. If they want to eat my next meal, she’d say, they’ll have their dish cleaned and ready. Boundaries bring clarity, creativity and perspective. Insist on them.

Look up. It is nearly impossible to navigate your path when you’re looking down, staring at the phone, scrolling through journeys on vastly different terrain. Lift your eyes. Do you see it? Your path is here. Focus. Pay attention. Greet the people you meet along the way. Look at the wide sky, offer thanks for your smallness.

Survey your surroundings. If you’ve been consulting your compass for long enough, your surroundings will look vastly different than they used to. Don’t forget to peer at the path behind you. Don’t forget to see how far you’ve come, see where you’ve tripped, see where you’ve detoured, see where you reoriented back onto your path. Peer at the panoramic. Call it beautiful.

#life

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thepacificprince · 4 years

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Finest Five Reasons to Invest in Real Estate Today

When it comes to real estate, the topic of the day is the downturn in the market, the number of people losing the homes, and how much this is going to hurt the market. In the seventeen years I have been in the real estate business, I had witnessed every fluctuation the market has to offer. While it is true that numerous property owners are enduring trying times, rarely does an identical happen to knowledgeable real estate investors. There are those individuals who be emotionally unattached and invest wisely in real estate. Therefore, they live a very comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle. Purchasing real estate, especially during a downturn, can widen an investor's opportunities and bring about lucrative returns. This is a truth. For anybody who is thinking about becoming a real estate investor or have already made the decision to start out, the following information is priceless. Wanting to secure a comfortable personal future, most of us go to work every day hoping to build an important nest egg. Since, it is common knowledge that real estate traders have the capacity to not only build a nest egg as well as create a fortune, why aren't more people joining typically the ranks of real estate multimillionaires? Why aren't there further people fighting for a seat on the real estate bandwagon? Most certainly, the truth behind real estate investing is that it is a business therefore, must be treated like one for it to prosper. The same as any other promising venture, investing in real estate requires a well-defined perception, a strategic plan, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Keep in mind the overwhelming evidence revealing success, only a microscopic message of the population is willing to take the risk, do the and follow through. The rest simply watch and call the of us doing the work "Lucky". When I began my career on real estate, I didn't have a plan. I didn't expend. I didn't even see past my next fee check. What kept me hanging on was the desire to live like the people I worked for, a good number of whom were real estate investors. Years later, I devoted to create serious wealth through real estate. As soon as I mindfully committed to my goal, I began to make deals and others money than ever before. By choice, I am not one of those purchasers who vacations six months out of the year. I work continuously meeting with clients, looking at properties and refining my prepare. Add to that a growing number of mentoring/coaching clients and the schedule is officially full. Nevertheless, I am continuously boosting my net worth as I am doing something that never ever feels like work. Besides creating amazing wealth, being the boss and having a place or two to label home, owning a real estate investing business has many other added benefits. The following five play a special role for the novice real estate investor. 1 . Safe Investment When we use a timeline to review the real estate market to other investments, such as the stock game, it is easy to see that real estate continues to increase in value gradually without any serious instability. Although, there is currently a home crisis in various parts across the country, every indicator points out the fact that what we are actually experiencing is a readjustment of highly overpriced real estate prices. Just as prices may be dropping, in time the can undoubtedly increase. In contrast, the stock market has put buyers through a dizzying rollercoaster ride made up of swift highs as well as abrupt lows throughout history. Regardless of what type of market our company is in, it is clear that an investment in real estate claims a profit over time. 2 . No Cash Necessary Just for beginning real estate investors, sometimes the only investment they can produce is their time. For every real estate investor, finding a worthwhile deal is as good as striking oil. There are plenty of experienced investors with money in their pockets itching to buy a sheet of discounted property. Wholesalers often utilize this method. Therefore , for anybody who is new to the game, consider finding a deal, tying it " up " and connecting with an investor who can take it off your hands... for just a price, of course. 3. Almost Anyone Can Do It Real estate will be such a lucrative field that it opens doors to tons of amateur investors everyday. There are how-to books and tutorials at every turn teaching would-be investors a myriad of solutions to make huge profits in the real estate market. While it is true who overnight success is practically unheard of, anybody with the heart and soul, mind and determination can make it big in real estate. Typically the keys are to continue learning and to monitor market problems. 4. Leveraging Power While novice investors can turn an easy profit by wholesaling their deals, Buy-and-Hold investors can produce a profit by borrowing against (leveraging) their properties. Normally, lenders will allow holders of owner-occupied property to receive up to ninety-five percent of their property's value and up for you to eighty-percent of nonowner occupied units. This means that you can sometimes purchase property with a minimal out-of-pocket investment or develop financing that will allow you to pull cash out of your property's collateral to use for future ventures. 5. Tax Breaks The usual 1031 exchange and depreciation are just two of them. The usa government has set up multiple tax breaks favoring properties investors. Owning real estate with the goal of making a turn a profit allows you to deduct interest payments, repairs, and vacancies within other expenses when preparing your tax return. It is important to realize that purchasing real estate makes economic sense; it should not possibly be purchased solely for the tax benefits. Ultimately, owning a realty business is the way to achieve financial freedom regardless of market conditions. Whether you quit your job and dive ideal in or you work at it in your spare time, you can take it happen. Worthwhile benefits are waiting faithfully for those taking.

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imagitory · 5 years

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D-Views: Mary Poppins

Hello, everyone, and welcome to another installment of D-Views, my on-going written review series where I dive into and analyze movies from Disney’s extensive film library, and even occasionally those influenced by that library. For other reviews in the series for movies such as Frozen, Enchanted, The Little Mermaid, and Lacewood Productions’ The Nutcracker Prince, feel free to consult the “Disney Reviews” tag! And as always, if you enjoy any of my reviews, please consider liking and reblogging them!

Today, thanks to the votes cast by @karalora, @banana-9-pancakes, and @aceyanaheim, we’ll be looking at the story of a magical woman -- one who is prim, proper, and practically perfect in every way...Mary Poppins!

Production-wise Mary Poppins is in some ways the culmination of everything Walt Disney learned in his thirty-year-long film-making career. It adapted a classic, whimsical story as an charming, emotion-heavy screenplay, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- it featured a fresh-faced, but extremely talented young singer in the title role, like Sleeping Beauty -- it seamlessly combined animation with live action, like Song of the South -- it had state-of-the-art special effects, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- and it featured music by two songwriters who later went on to write Disney film scores for decades. But all of that started with a tiny, little spark. As a little girl, Walt’s daughter Diane had started reading the Mary Poppins books, and when Walt read along with her, he was absolutely enchanted by them and knew he wanted to adapt the stories for the silver screen. All the way back in 1938, one year after the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Uncle Walt had his first meeting with Mary Poppins’s creator, P.L. Travers, but as anyone who has seen Saving Mr. Banks knows, the two did not see eye to eye. Uncle Walt spent the next twenty years trying to convince Travers to give him the rights to her stories, but unlike in the film where they had a sincere meeting of the minds, Travers recalled their final meeting where she gave him the rights as being more like Walt “holding up a gold pocket watch and dangling it tantalizingly in front of [her] eyes.” Admittedly one factor in the situation was that Travers herself had been having some financial trouble, and Uncle Walt’s payment for the rights to her books, as well as a portion of the gross profits for a film adaptation, was a boost that Travers severely needed. Despite the rights being given to Disney, however, Travers retained script approval rights, and for the next few years of production, she had quite a few complaints about the product. Even at the premiere of the film -- which, incredibly, she had not originally been invited to until she shamed a Disney executive into action -- Travers was very vocal about how much she disliked the film. The animation, done by some of the best in the business? Had to go. The story, which created such memorable and likable characters? Lacked teeth. The score written by the young Sherman brothers, who later went on to win awards for both Poppins and their other works? Left her cold.

Now, here’s the thing...do I agree with Ms. Travers? No. Do I like her as a person? No -- one would be hard-pressed to really admire a woman who decided to adopt half of a pair of twins from a poor family, raise the boy thinking he was her biological son, and then try to prevent her son from seeing his twin when the twin came to see him. (Yes, she really did that.) Do I think she was a malcontent who probably wouldn’t have been satisfied with anything? Absolutely. But at the same time, I must acknowledge, as a writer myself, it can be very difficult to share your creations with others. It can be hard even letting others read your works, given how personal and emotionally resonant the things you create often end up being, but it’s even harder letting others add onto your work. In a way, it’s like giving your child to a babysitter, except that unlike babysitters, most filmmakers who aim to adapt books don’t have a great track record in respecting the author or their vision. And in regards to Walt Disney specifically, his studio has never exactly been very interested in “staying true to the original story” -- the Walt Disney Company adapts the heck out of anything it touches. Even more modern Disney projects based on books like Ella Enchanted and Tuck Everlasting are great examples of this (if you’d like to delve into those films as adaptations, please look up Dominic Smith/The Dom’s wonderful Lost in Adaptation episodes for them -- they’re both fabulous!!). And in a way, Travers never saw her magical nanny as something light and cheerful -- this was an immortal woman who in later books once took the Banks children up into the Heavens on Midsummer’s Eve. Like the famous 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, there was definitely some dry wit and edge lost in translation from book to screen...and just like with The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins the film has largely taken the place of the original novels in the public consciousness.

But you know something? For what it’s worth...I think that, just like The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins succeeds in being a well-written, well-directed, well-performed, classic film, even if it’s so different than the book it was inspired by. And honestly, the world seems to agree. Mary Poppins grossed over $28.5 million at the box office, making it the most profitable film of 1965, and completely won over both critics and audiences alike. Even now at Rotten Tomatoes, it still boasts a rare 100% Fresh rating. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won five (including Best Picture, which made it the first and only film Walt ever produced to win that honor) and also earned both a Golden Globe and two Grammys. Not only that, but the profits for the film were so high that they helped Uncle Walt fund his “Florida project,” which would eventually become Walt Disney World Resort. Mary Poppins later went on to inspire both a Broadway musical and a sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, and even today you can still meet both Mary Poppins and Bert in the Disney theme parks. So yes, “I recognize Ms. Travers had her opinion, but given that it is a stupid-ass opinion, I’ve elected to ignore it.”

PFFT, I’M KIDDING, ONLY KIDDING. Let’s talk about Mary Poppins.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that from the very beginning, the overture embraces us with the melody that will become the story’s main theme, Feed the Birds. The overture, like all the best Sherman brother overtures for films like Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Sword in the Stone, is just a smooth, glamorous kaleidoscope of music. I also have to applaud the special effects team right off the bat with their overlaying of Julie Andrews as Mary onto the mat painting of London underneath our opening credits -- even now, when one can more easily guess how the trick worked, it’s still rather neatly done.

In this opening sequence, we also meet Bert, played by Dick van Dyke. The character of Bert was actually a compilation of several figures from the books, but that results in a very interesting, almost transient sort of character. This cheery, optimistic Jack of All Trades may have an accent that wouldn’t convince anyone, but is nonetheless unbelievably charming, and van Dyke’s physical comedy is so ridiculously on point. My mum and I have had a soft spot for Dick van Dyke for a long time because my late grandfather, although he was quite a bit older, resembled him quite a bit not just in appearance but also in attitude. Even now I look at Bert and fondly remember going to see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins with my grandparents, who ended up loving it and its music just as much as I did. It all the more makes me lament the end of the Soundsational Parade at Disneyland, which always concluded with a Mary-Poppins-inspired float covered in chimney sweeps and merry-go-round horses, one of which was ridden by Bert.

One of the changes that Ms. Travers was most disdainful of was the idea that the Banks family -- especially Mr. Banks -- had flaws that needed to be addressed and fixed by Mary Poppins. The flaw in the parents’ case is that they’re so focused on their own work and goals that they neglect their children’s emotional needs -- a plot point that would eventually get beaten into the ground in films that came later, but is not done half bad here. After all, the film doesn’t try to frame Mr. Banks’s job or Mrs. Banks’s activism as unimportant or bad in any way -- it’s just that the parents are solely focusing on those things. Mrs. Banks’s activism in particular, which is something that doesn’t appear either in the books or in the Broadway production, is something I really like. Sister Suffragette, which actually helped bring Glynis Johns on board to play Mrs. Banks, is just such a ridiculously fun song to sing. Although I wouldn’t ever say it’s the best song in the film by a mile, it’s still insanely catchy and entertaining, and I sing along to it every single time. WOMANKIND, ARISE!

David Tomlinson, who plays Mr. Banks, is easily the weakest link singing-wise, but fortunately he gives an acting performance that more than compensates for his poor vocals. From the very beginning, he comes across as incredibly pompous, self-centered, detached, and sexist, and yet he’s never shown to be an inherently bad person. He can be very cheerful, and even the way he’s framed makes it clear that a lot of his bluster is a front for his actual feelings, such as the way he falters when he realizes that Katie Nana has left the family. In the wrong hands, this role could’ve been despicable and shallow, but Tomlison handles it carefully enough that one can always see the emotion and suppressed softness in his eyes even long before he has his change of heart.

After an excellently paced entrance that involves effortlessly blowing away the line of nannies outside 17 Cherry Tree Lane, we are finally fully introduced to the magical lady herself, Mary Poppins. It is unbelievable when you remember that this was Julie Andrews’s first film role ever -- she’d previously only been a stage actress, but after finding success in both My Fair Lady and Camelot on stage and being denied the role of Eliza Doolittle in the film adaptation of My Fair Lady (which was later given to Audrey Hepburn), Julie accepted the role of Mary Poppins. Interestingly Julie was the only actor in the movie that P.L. Travers actually expressed some approval for, and honestly, I don’t blame her -- Julie is just flawlessly cast here. The role combines all of her performing strengths -- a great singing voice, expert dancing, inherent charm, sophistication, intelligence, pride, grace, and a touch of sass -- together in a cohesive, memorable character. Mary’s first song, A Spoonful of Sugar, really showcases Julie in her prime, spotlighting her flawless falsetto and precise pitch (as well as her impeccable whistling), and beautifully accompanies some of the at-the-time-revolutionary special effects. Although yes, it’s easy in the modern day to see how the effects were done, they’re never out-of-place or distracting, which is a testament to how much better practical effects can sometimes age in comparison to computer-generated effects. The things that tend to stick out most to my eyes are the green-screened stuff, simply because of how much that particular technique has been used in film and television since Mary Poppins’s release, but the nice thing is that it’s only one of many effects used, which helps in distracting the eye away from getting too used to one effect. Sometimes the effect will be stop-motion; sometimes the effect will be reversing the film; sometimes it’ll be green screen; sometimes it’ll be combining separate shots together. It makes it so that you would have to watch every scene several times and very carefully in order to pick out specific techniques, rather than just being able to go, “That’s fake, that’s fake, aaaaand...that’s fake,” the way you can while watching movies using only CGI.

Speaking of special effects, we have to talk about the sequence that made P.L. Travers the most upset -- the Jolly Holiday segment, set in an animated, living chalk drawing. Not only is the song just excellent, but the colors and energy of the piece are...well, practically perfect! It only serves to plus a song that was already pretty great and turns it into something amazing. Something else I like about Mary and Bert that I actually have to thank P. L. Travers herself for is that they are not romantically involved. Ms. Travers specifically indicated that that should be the case, and for a film made in the 60′s when male and female characters were almost always neatly paired off, it’s really neat that the two characters, despite some faintly teasing, flirty affects, never act like a couple. And really, having had both male and female friends since I was a kid, I really enjoyed seeing an attractive leading woman and man as friends. On the note of Mary, Bert, and songs I love singing along to, I would be very, very amiss if I didn’t also bring up Supercalifragalisticexpeliadocious. It’s really a very short number, but packed into it is so much energy that it feels like it never takes a breath. It’s like a sugar buzz, written into song form -- exuberant and big and loud and energetic...at least until the inevitable decrescendo as the rain wears away Bert’s chalk drawing and Mary, Bert, and the Banks children sadly return to the real world.

Our next adventure with Mary takes us to dear old Uncle Albert’s, where the aforementioned uncle, played by Mad-Hatter-voice-actor Ed Wynn, is rolling in the air laughing. This scene in particular showcases the various practical effects used in the film, whether hanging the actors on wires, putting them on one side of a seesaw, or even flipping the entire set on its side or upside down. Admittedly it’s very obvious that Katie Dotrice and Matthew Garber, who play Jane and Michael Banks, are having a harder time laughing convincingly than Dick van Dyke and Ed Wynn, which honestly is unsurprising given how many times they had to film this particular scene so as to get different shots. One story from the set of this film centers around Matthew Garber, after getting tired of recording the scene, receiving a nickle every time he had to go back onto the wires and in the end earning an “absolute fortune.” For child actors, Katie and Matthew aren’t awful, but it’s fortunate that they’re almost never the sole focus of a scene, as the more talented adult actors understandably overshadow them. And before you try to tell me it’s unfair to hold child actors to the same standards as adult actors, I grant that that’s true, but child actors can still give good performances that make them stand out as individuals...take Georgie Henley in The Chronicles of Narnia or Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire, for example. And as much as I’ll give Katie Dotrice and Matthew Garber credit for their performances, neither of them quite stands out that way. It’s admittedly a little harder for me to be that critical of Matthew’s performance, though, given that ten years after he retired from acting, he sadly passed away of pancreatitis at the age of 21. It’s very fortunate that thanks to his performance in Mary Poppins, Matthew will be remembered fondly for generations to come.

Walt Disney’s favorite song is frequently cited as Feed the Birds, and honestly, it’s little wonder why. As I touched on earlier, the song sort of sums up what the film Mary Poppins is trying to say -- that the smallest, seemingly insignificant gestures can mean so much. And isn’t that so integral to Disney, or even movies and entertainment in general? We all know of a character in a movie or TV show -- a line in a book -- a song someone wrote -- a simple smile from a stranger -- that somehow brightened up our whole world, that inspired us in ways we could never have imagined. And all of that comes back to sincere, gentle feelings, and how we can share those feelings with others. Mary Poppins, in short, is about compassion...and isn’t it little wonder why such a message resonated with so many people?

After an absolutely disastrous visit to the bank, the Banks children run out into the streets of London alone, where they’re fortunately found and walked home by Bert. Accompanying the jaunt back to Cherry Tree Lane is the Academy-Award-winning song Chim Chim Cheree, which is definitely catchy and, if I may say so, very fun to whistle. I admittedly am a little sour with Mrs. Banks that she doesn’t get a bit of a reality check when she ends up choosing to leave Michael and Jane alone with someone who’s effectively a stranger to her to go help her suffragette friends. It’s just fortunate that the “stranger” ends up being Bert and that Mary Poppins ends up coming back despite it being her day off, as otherwise Mrs. Banks’s negligent parenting could’ve had serious consequences. But the leap in logic does end up leading us into one of the best parts of the movie -- Step in Time!

Step in time, step in time, come on, matey, step in time! Hahaha, yes, this sequence easily has some of the best dancing ever recorded on film, right up there with the choreography in West Side Story and Singin’ in the Rain. It’s especially remarkable when you know that prior to Mary Poppins, Dick van Dyke had had no formal dance training, and yet he keeps up seemingly with ease with dozens of professional dancers. It blows me away every time. And despite the unending repetition of the song, it miraculously never becomes annoying due to the variety of the dance breaks and the high level of energy with which it’s performed. And really, despite the insane length of the song (it running over eight minutes all together), it amazingly never feels like padding. Perhaps it’s because the talent on screen is just so on display and integrated so perfectly with the building orchestrations and well-chosen special effects that it only serves to plus the musical action more and more and more until it finally culminates in the chimney sweeps escaping down the Banks family’s chimney and dancing off into the street.

As fun as everything has been with Mary Poppins and the chimney sweeps, however, Mr. Banks is now in danger of losing his job at the bank, and Tomlinson’s talent is made very evident once again in how, even after seeing all of his character’s mistakes and faults, we still feel very sorry for both him and for his family. Mr. Banks at first feels the impulse to blame Mary Poppins for his change in circumstances, but thanks to some pointed guidance from Bert and some compassion from his children, he comes to see the cracks in the foundation of his world view. And this goes back to the entire family needing help -- Mr. Banks is a very, very flawed man, but at the same time, as Bert brought up to Jane and Michael, he feels he has to handle absolutely everything on his own, and it’s largely thanks to the support of his children that he’s able to face the threat of losing his job with his head held high. Something I love a lot about the part where Mr. Banks makes his way to the bank alone is the Feed the Birds instrumental that accompanies his walk and that comes to a head when Mr. Banks reaches St. Paul’s, only to see the bird woman no longer there. Whether you choose to read it as the bird woman simply having left or having died or whatever else, it’s clear that every opportunity for charity and kindness we are offered is fleeting. Compassion is and will never be a passive thing.

Fortunately everything turns out for the best. Mr. Banks makes up with his children and he, Michael, Jane, and Mrs. Banks go fly a brand new kite in the park, alongside the film’s final song Let’s Go Fly a Kite. Mr. Banks even ends up getting his job back thanks to a joke that he told Dawes, Sr. the night we sacked. Even despite the cheer, however, it doesn’t feel completely saccharine and lacking of substance to me because Mary Poppins does still leave in the end. She doesn’t achieve the same kind of happy ending that she gave the Banks family -- instead she simply takes off into the air, presumably to give some other family help, with a faintly sad smile on her face. It’s remarkably mature of an ending for something that P.L. Travers thought was “all fantasy and no magic.”

Mary Poppins is not that much like the Mary Poppins books originally written by P. L. Travers. Perhaps at some points it sanitizes or misses out on what inspired Ms. Travers to write the books in the first place...but for all that is lost, I’m confident in saying that a lot was also found. There is a lot of heart in this movie, from a family growing and improving through the intervention of a wise, magical woman to finding deeper meaning in the seemingly insignificant things in our everyday lives. This movie is ridiculously fun to watch, but it’s not like the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, where there was never supposed to be a point and it was just there to entertain children. There are lessons one can learn here, and they’re not heavy-handed or pretentious in their delivery. One can learn the value of a sunny disposition, resilience, and empathy in less than stellar circumstances and see how a family full of love is the wealthiest and luckiest of all. And the best part? Those are lessons that both children and adults could stand to learn and re-learn through watching this movie for many, many years to come. Mary Poppins is an immortal figure, and even if this film was made by human hands and so couldn’t possible recreate P. L. Travers’s vision of her, the film is just as eternally relevant itself.

#d-views #disney reviews #mary poppins #disney #p.l. travers #opinion #analysis #reviews #walt disney #julie andrews #dick van dyke #pamela travers

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coachingreviewsite · 5 years

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Learn to be the Best Leader Possible

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/learn-to-be-the-best-leader-possible/

Learn to be the Best Leader Possible

The idea of effective leadership is a hard one for a lot of people, especially anyone who has never been a good leader before. The best way to appreciate what leadership greatly entails is to educate yourself as much as possible on the topic. Be confident in a decision before you share it with others. If you look indecisive, that will cause those beneath you to be indecisive as well. Not only that, but indecision causes others to be able to try to take your position. Instead, deliberate in private before you make any announcements.

When it comes to money, take the long view, if possible. Everyone wants to show quarterly profits, but if you increase short-term earnings by cutting corners on staffing and materials that staff need to get their work done, you and your company will ultimately end up being penny wise and pound foolish.

While you should always be there for your team as a leader, don't forget to nurture growth in yourself. Figure out where it is that you want to grow. Do what you can to stretch yourself as much as you can. Engage and deepen your passions and strengths to make your most valuable contributions.

Being ethical is crucial to being a good leader. Ethics lead to successful businesses. When people know that you always act in their best interests, they remain loyal to you. You can make sure that your employees follow the rules if you develop a company policy on ethics.

How The New Moon In Virgo Will Make Us More Self-Aware And Bring Joy To Our Lives

thoughtcatalog.com

"Taurus – It can be a New Moon to remember as the connections you made a few weeks ago can emerge to help you with your goals." https://thoughtcatalog.com/a-t-nunez/2019/08/how-the-new-moon-in-virgo-will-make-us-more-self-aware-and-bring-joy-to-our-lives/

Make a commitment to success. It may sound simplistic, but leadership starts with believing in the company and having a vision for its success. That vision when communicated rubs off on all that work at the company. In this way, your vision of success breeds success among your employees.

To be an effective leader in business, never lower your standards in order to compete. If your competitors are sinking to moral lows, do not follow along. You never have to sink lower than they are. By developing an innovation that keeps you competitive, you will be able to sleep better at night.

A great idea for anyone in a leadership role to try is to periodically write an "open letter" to the team members, or workforce. In this letter, you can acknowledge good work, overall performance and show your appreciation for all they do. There is nothing like a little praise to boost morale.

Reward great work. It may be tempting to be a slave to the bottom line, but you'd be amazed what a few rewards can do to help productivity. These rewards don't have to be big. A bagel breakfast or gift certificates for a team work quite well. The gesture shows that you care, and good leaders really do.

3 IDEAS FROM James Clear

w5coaching.com

"3 IDEAS FROM James Clear I. Mastery requires both impatience and patience.The impatience to have a bias toward action, to not waste time, and to work with a sense of urgency each day.The patience to delay gratification, to wait for your actions to accumulate and to trust the process. II. When making plans, think big.When… The post 3 IDEAS FROM James Clear appeared first on W5 Business Coaching." https://w5coaching.com/3-ideas-from-james-clear/

The trait of integrity is always underrated in an effective leader. Integrity means being honest about everything all the time. Others have a difficult time trusting you if you don't have integrity. If you have integrity, your employees with trust and respect you. What's more, they will be loyal.

As a leader, you probably have certain goals, ethics and values that help to form your leadership model. These are important qualities of a good leader. It is a good idea to write these things down, and then share them with your employees, or team members. This way, they know what you are about, and what is expected of them.

Try adding value to people every single day. Several great leaders will take a minute to sit and think about whether or not they have added value to another person the same day. Leadership can make a difference and break a deal since it;'s what makes organizations grow. It impacts lives. Remember that it's not just an idea that's talked about, but it's an action that you need to live out.

Leaders must know the difference between what they are working on and what's in their mind. This pairing can be contradict one another. If you have something in your mind, you have to try and get it out in the open. Write it on some paper and get past it.

A 6 step team investment strategy for long-term profitability

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"Most companies have a quote such as “People are our most appreciable assets”. This sounds great, but it is really so in practice?How does financial specialist manage assets?They compound them.They want the money to work for them and multiply the results.This is what they call “leveraging effect”, a small lever moving a large piece.Although this … A 6 step team investment strategy for long-term profitability Read More » The post A 6 step team investment strategy for long-term profitability appeared first on swiss leaders group." https://swissleadersgroup.com/a-6-step-team-investment-strategy-for-long-term-profitability/

Recognize the employees who consistently do a good job. Don't focus on problems or spend too much time trying to strengthen weak employees. When the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, being a weak employee becomes motivation to get more help from the boss. Try to surround yourself with your strongest employees and help them grow.

When faced with a challenge, focus on leading others to arrive at a viable solution. While it is sometimes tempting to point fingers or misdirect blame, neither of these behaviors address the real problem. Focus not on coming up with an excuse as a means of meeting a deadline. Instead, use that time to determine what caused the issue and how you can prevent it from occurring in the future.

You have to keep your team safe and comfortable at all times. People that aren't comfortable won't be very motivated which is why you have to keep things running comfortably. You may need to give people more breaks, free snacks, or even just listen to people when they're having a hard time with something.

As a leader in your workforce, it is important that you be available to your team at least part of every day. You can avoid being an "absent boss" by making sure to visit each shift at some point during the week, communicating with employees, and making sure that all is going well.

Recognize employees who do well. Publicly recognizing team members provides a much needed boost of confidence and will also help encourage future participation and efforts. You don't have to have a big formal award, simply acknowledging and praising your employees as part of your day can go a long way to boost morale.

Good leadership is essential to the success of a company. Without understanding the principles of being a great leader, you are going to be incapable of becoming one. Hopefully, the above post has helped you get on track.

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