#and reevaluating our vulnerabilities

[fox-bright]

My covid post from last year is going around again, as I sit here debating how and what to write about HPAI H5N1.

I'm tired.

Things to know:

HPAI H5N1, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, is so far wildly lethal when humans get it. Somewhere between 53% and 56% of the humans who have been found to have it have died.

Those people mainly got it from interacting with sick birds. A couple have gotten it from interacting with sick mammals. The one of those that's most important to US news right now is a worker at a milk cow farm who got sick very recently. That worker's only symptom before getting on antiviral medication was pinkeye.

(Keep your cats indoors; cats are getting it from sick birds. Don't have bird feeders this year. Do NOT interact with wild birds that are acting strangely; do not poke at dead wild birds.)

Humans are not yet giving it to humans. There are one or two cases where they might have done, in the last few years; those cases guttered out quickly, to the great good luck of our species, and did not spread.

Human-to-human transmission is the big concern.

We are not in any immediate danger of H2H transmission. When we're in immediate danger, you'll know.

When the flip happens, we will go from not being in immediate danger to being in immediate danger, very rapidly. This could happen this month, or in five months, or in five years, and we don't know when.

By the time we are in immediate danger, it is too late to do the greater bulk of your preparation.

So it's time to prepare now. This time we have is a blessing. We should not squander it. What would you have done differently in September, 2019, if you knew what was coming? Do that.

With some differences; a) flu can pass by fomite--that is, a sick person touches a doorknob, you touch a doorknob, you rub your face, you get sick--so you actually do need cleaning chemicals for this one. b) This one gets in through the eyeballs pretty easily in its current shape, so eye protection should be prepped for adding to masking in public spaces. c) this one is gonna call for fever reducers and we know how hard they were to get when covid hit; stock up. And stock up on pet food if you can keep it from going bad, because pet food gets its protein from cow and bird meat; there will be shortages.

With a lot of similarities; the flu is airborne so don't stop masking, if we have a proper lockdown this time you're going to wish you had flour and rice and canned fruit so keep stock of all your staples. If you have a nice big freezer, now is the time to get beef and chicken before the prices shoot to the ceiling. I'm also stocking up on powdered milk and powdered eggs for baking with.

We have made a lot, a LOT of mistakes with how we've handled covid. But one thing we didn't do wrong was all of the community-building in the early days. Think about what worked then, and what didn't really work. Now is the time to make sure community bonds are strong. As always, as in ANY potential disaster, there are two most-important questions?

Who can protect and support you?

Who can you support and protect?

Plan accordingly.

[hausofodyssey]

✨ Cosmic World ✨

SATURN IN ARIES IS HERE SOON!

On 24th May , Saturn moves into Aries and for a lot of us (including myself) we will be having our Saturn Return. This is a significant astrological event that will shape themes of self-discipline, courage, identify, and autonomy.

Saturn will return back into Pisces on the 1st September to 13 February 2026, then stay in Aries until 2028. This Saturn Return is important for those born between 1996-1999 (and 1967-1969_ when Saturn was last in Aries.

For the past month, I have been conducting research on how Saturn's return will impact individuals (including myself). This includes an brief breakdown of how each rising sign will experience Saturn's return through house placements.

🔥 Aries Rising - 1st House

Themes for you are: identify, self image, personal responsibility

This is a time to own who you are and how you show up in the world. It's about refining your sense of identify, work on your physical body, confidence, and long-term goals. Deep self-discipline. It can also be a time to get into leadership.

Avoiding Saturn's teaching can lead to: Identify crises, burnout from impulsivity, chronic insecurity or lack of direction.

🌱 Taurus Rising - 12th House

Themes for you are: Subconscious patterns, solitude, mental health and karmic closure.

This is a time for you to build a strong inner world through solitude, spiritual practices or therapy. It's about doing the shadow work to heal hidden wounds and letting go of self-sabotaging habits. For you this is a season of energetic mastery.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Anxiety, isolation and self-undoing. Health or psychological crises which forces rest and reevaluation (Look at your 6th house sign and placements to see how you can take care of yourself to avoid health issues).

💬 Gemini Rising - 11th House

Themes for you are: Community, networks, long-term dreams, social responsibility

This is a time to commit to your long-term visions. Aligning with mature, like-minded people and also take leadership in groups or causes you care about.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Have you feeling lost socially or purposeless You can feel like you are outgrowing friends or fear standing out in groups.

🏆 Cancer Rising - 10th House

Themes for you are: Career, public image, authority, ambition

This is a time to take responsibility for your goals and leadership. It is about establishing a legacy and structure your career path. 

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Career plateaus, fear of being seen, issues with authority or pressure without clarity.

📖 Leo Rising - 9th House

Themes for you are: Belief systems, travel, education, worldview

This is a time to formalise your growth, study, publish and travel with purpose. It's about building a structured worldview.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to:  Crisis of belief or direction. Stubbornly clinging to outdated philosophies.

⚖️ Virgo Rising - 8th House

Themes for you are: Transformation, shared resources, intimacy, power

This is a time to master emotional boundaries and shared finances. Heal trauma and confront fear. 

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Power struggles, financial loss, avoiding being vulnerable and experiencing deep emotional stagnation. 

💒 Libra Rising - 7th House

Themes for you are: Relationships, communications, contracts

This is a time to take responsibility of your relationships. This could be by committing, maturing, or ending dynamics that are outdated and do not work for you. Learn healthy interdependence.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Relationship breakdowns, loneliness, repeating unhealthy patterns or delays in forming mature partnerships.

🧘‍♂️ Scorpio Rising - 6th House

Themes for you are: Daily routine, health, work, service

This is a time to commit to your health and productivity. Start building better habits and improve your work ethic and environment.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Burnout, health issues, or job dissatisfaction. Life will feel chaotic or burdensome.

🎨 Sagittarius Rising - 5th House

Themes for you are: Creativity, self-expression, romance, children

This is a time to turn your passions into responsibility. Build creative projects with structure. Mature in love or/and parenting.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: You can experience creative blocks, unstable love life, fear or failure in personal expression.

🏡 Capricorn Rising - 4th House

Themes for you are: Home, family, emotional roots

This is a time to build or stabilise your home and inner emotional world. Confront ancestral or family dynamics.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Emotional shutdowns, family conflict, housing instability or inner emptiness.

🗣️ Aquarius Rising - 3rd House

Themes for you are: Communication, learning, siblings, local environment

This is a time to become a more effective communicator. Build skills in teaching, writing or even public speaking. It's about maturing in thinking patterns.

Avoiding Saturn's teaching can lead to: Burnouts, misunderstandings, and scattered focus or even issues with siblings.

💳 Pisces Rising - 2nd House

Themes for you: Finances, self-work, possessions

This is a time for building lasting financial security. Define your values as well as developing self-worth through effort and mastery.

Avoiding Saturn's teachings can lead to: Cause money issues, undervaluing yourself, or even clinging on to unstable income sources or materialism.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

🪐 Overall regardless of where this transit is taking place for you, the return pushes everyone to redefine themes of Aries like what courage, independence, and responsibility mean for you. Saturn in Aries rewards bold discipline and taking initiatives. It's all about mastering your impulses and stepping into your power without being reckless.

🪐 A lot of people in the astrology community tend to be all doom and gloom about Saturn Returns but I think it's just a great opportunity for transformation which will force you to be the best version of yourself and I feel like I have been waiting all my life this moment.

So good luck to all my fellow Saturn in Aries people - take a deep breath, be patient, relax - you've got this! 🌟

[ekebolou]

I get that people have complicated relationships with higher education, and that's 100% reasonable, but there's something I want to point out.

when you hear a popular podcast or youtuber or history show or see a popular history book or article say it's 'revealing' or 'uncovering' or 'bringing to light' or 'reevaluating' some story of the past, it's usually doing so off of academic history work done by people in academia.

Journalists and your average YouTuber are generally the worst about not crediting this work,* but it's there in the background, nonetheless.

That work - academic research, particularly of this kind, and the articles, books, and other information it produces - doesn't get done without institutional support. That is, like with everything, sure some enthusiasts will keep at their particular interests hell or high water, and rich folks can peruse to their hearts' content - that's what fueled the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries' ever-increasing investigative output.

And that should be concerning, not comforting.

Not because all of that output was wrong or terrible or misguided - a lot was, but much of it is still essential, foundational, exceedingly rigorous and useful - but because much of modern history work, twentieth century on, has been a century-long battle to correct some of deeply culturally embedded beliefs an almost wholly dilettante pursuit of the past generated. It's kind of a joke in English-language scholarship that the Victorians ruined everything, but like, for real, y'all, the Victorians left us some BURDENS, from fake relics created for ~the aesthetic~ to defaced and destroyed historical documents.

Academic research in itself is not some kind of panacea. we're not shitting on dilettantes (I am very much a dilettante, in my way) and so-called 'amateurs', who are vital and excellent contributors to knowledge. We're also not saying institutions are always perfect and good and don't need to change. I'm saying that robust, diverse, in-depth, careful, broadly reaching, and most of all interesting and new scholarship requires something on the scale of institutional support.

This is not just because that's where your historians live, but because in a very practical sense, that's where your archives live. You do actually need a big building stuffed with Things Of The Past well-maintained and with a core of well-trained and extremely cool (like librarians, all archivists are extremely cool in my books, even if they're kind of assholes, as long as they are good archivists).

Archivists are currently doing a lot with very little support - like a lot of academics and librarians, really - because that's what people do. When they care about doing something, they get along, they scrape by, they suck it up. But they need buildings, they need climate control, they need continuing training and new people coming into the field - if the idea is that we have so many documents from the past extant today because archives DON'T need institutional-level support, then you are severely misinformed about how much of the past has survived to the present day. And if the idea is that we'll preserve the IMPORTANT bits of the past regardless then you're also sadly misinformed about how good we are at determining what's important, and how frequently (and with growing frequency) disasters of various kinds wipe places out (Lisbon 1755, for example), and how robust any of our documentation (often ESPECIALLY the 'important' stuff) is in terms of long-term survival.

There's a theory going around that THIS period - like the 2000s through today and into the future - will produce a 'dark age' for future historians because the digital infrastructure which not only underpins almost all of our day-to-day lives but is how we've decided to 'save space' - by preserving things digitally rather than in hard copy - is so unspeakably vulnerable and weak. Everyday folks have already, for the most part, lost access to things like CDs, which have a lifespan of something like 100 years at the most. Proprietary softwares, black box devices with irreplaceable parts, flimsy modern materials with difficult to preserve features mean a whole of information that drives our lives today will simply become inaccessible in, actually, a very short time.

Archives - vast storehouses under careful supervision full of well-organized stuff that might potentially be important one day - need institutional support, but also, on their own, are kind of... well, let's just say, Historians will also say shit like they 'uncovered' a 'hidden history' in a previously 'lost, unknown' document that some archivist put in a special box on a special shelf and carefully catalogued for prime findability. It's a symbiotic relationship that doesn't always get its due. An archive on its own can be very useful to a local community, an individual business, a specific family, all kinds of things - but to get History out of it, you need some Historians or suitably rabid individuals of other castes. You need both, or you end up with the pseudo-histories of nineteenth-century rich folk that then get to determine what we believe is possible for the future by what we are told of the past. It's a bad scene.

Again, there are further steps to take - not over here defending institutions as they stand. We were, at one point, on our way to accessible higher education, meaning everyone had a chance to go to pursue their interests, before we started seeing Universities not as a social good and social resource but as job training and profit centers and cut social funding as demanded by business ghouls. Higher education and academia as it functions now has done a lot of damage to people's lives.

But institutions are much harder to build than to change, and change is hard enough. Once an archive is defunded, its collections distributed or destroyed, you typically don't get it back. Like certain species of sea creatures with long gestational periods, once you destroy the mid-range of the population - the bit that raises up the next generation - your population collapses and its very hard to get things back on track (historians and other academics who require lots of investment and training and time and experience are like the sea creatures, you see).

You can, of course, start new. We've done that a lot, as a species. It's always possible. But it's a bit like running out of a fire empty-handed instead of grabbing your wallet as you go. Sometimes you just gotta go, and that's always safest - sometimes you just can't think or there's no time to think and you couldn't get to anything useful if you wanted to - but if it's matter of looking at the wallet in your pants pocket and dipping down to grab it (and maybe pants!) while you bolt then yeah, ought to try. Maybe the pants catch fire and you've got to abandon them anyway to save your life. That's reasonable. (This is just an analogy - fire safety generally says to get ye gone with your life and health intact ASAP, just for the record - don't stop for shit and don't go back in).

The point of this is that next time you're enjoying some popular history content (please save me from this word) or learn some cool fact about the past, think about the fact that none of that get down to you without a big chain of people all joined together doing different things. And that big chain needs nice big social supports to exist. The social supports are hard to change, but the chain is easy to lose without them. It's a group effort all the way, even that little fucker who didn't credit the work they used to make fun videos is important.

That content doesn't happen without the structure to support it - or even worse, that content lies to you. Makes stuff up. The stuff it makes up isn't going to be fantasies of freedom and equality, at least going by what's been made up before.

Hate the academy, want it to change, act to reform it - all very good, go for it, no desire to stop you (except maybe the hating part, try to hate more specifically, like individual actions or aspects of the academy, if you're going to hate on stuff, but, like, hate can be unhealthy, get some peace in your life if you can). Things are bad enough without also feeling like you have to take on a crusade to save archives or other institutions - though honestly just participating in your local history scene, giving them time and attention, is really valuable help - so that's not really the call to action here. The call is just asking you to notice the big structures that enable these small joys.

Don't let yourself be convinced that they somehow happen in a vacuum, that they'll just persist somehow like getting Deliveroo at your off-grid mountain cabin. A lot people helped make that stupid podcast about Marie Antoinette's toenail fungus happen - and there's way more than that waiting! If we can just keep letting people make archives, study stuff, fuck off on fruitless searches for things that were never there and instead find stuff we never KNEW was there. There's so much of that to be done! The more the merrier on who should be doing it! But if we want that, we got to figure out how to support it, to keep what we've got, build more of it, or it'll be the same shit about Marie Antoinette over and over and over and over and over because that'll all we'll have to build from.

Anyway, if you've never done it, take a ghost tour. Visit a museum nearby. Pop into an archive and just ask them some stuff. Get on these web pages that do things like recreate Angkor Wat as a virtual tour, go watch a Youtuber do a frothing-at-the-mouth defense of Charles Lightoller, or even better, read this reddit thread about whether Dua Lipa would have survived the Titanic sinking based on her music video. And just think - holy shit, isn't it cool that we have a society, a whole social structure, that could produce such a thing? And it's right here, at my fingertips, ready to disappear.

*there are reasons for this, some related to format and legibility/accessibility that still shouldn't eliminate the need to credit others' work and others cowardly excuses for parasitism

[fatehbaz]

Travel back [...] a few hundred years to before the industrial revolution, and the wildlife of Britain and Ireland looks very different indeed. 

Take orcas: while there are now less than ten left in Britain’s only permanent (and non-breeding) resident population, around 250 years ago the English [...] naturalist John Wallis gave this extraordinary account of a mass stranding of orcas on the north Northumberland coast [...]. If this record is reliable, then more orcas were stranded on this beach south of the Farne Islands on one day in 1734 than are probably ever present in British and Irish waters today. [...]

Other careful naturalists from this period observed orcas around the coasts of Cornwall, Norfolk and Suffolk. I have spent the last five years tracking down more than 10,000 records of wildlife recorded between 1529 and 1772 by naturalists, travellers, historians and antiquarians throughout Britain and Ireland, in order to reevaluate the prevalence and habits of more than 150 species [...].

In the early modern period, wolves, beavers and probably some lynxes still survived in regions of Scotland and Ireland. By this point, wolves in particular seem to have become re-imagined as monsters [...].

Elsewhere in Scotland, the now globally extinct great auk could still be found on islands in the Outer Hebrides. Looking a bit like a penguin but most closely related to the razorbill, the great auk’s vulnerability is highlighted by writer Martin Martin while mapping St Kilda in 1697 [...].

[A]nd pine martens and “Scottish” wildcats were also found in England and Wales. Fishers caught burbot and sturgeon in both rivers and at sea, [...] as well as now-scarce fishes such as the angelshark, halibut and common skate. Threatened molluscs like the freshwater pearl mussel and oyster were also far more widespread. [...]

Predators such as wolves that interfered with human happiness were ruthlessly hunted. Authors such as Robert Sibbald, in his natural history of Scotland (1684), are aware and indeed pleased that several species of wolf have gone extinct:

There must be a divine kindness directed towards our homeland, because most of our animals have a use for human life. We also lack those wild and savage ones of other regions. Wolves were common once upon a time, and even bears are spoken of among the Scottish, but time extinguished the genera and they are extirpated from the island.

The wolf was of no use for food and medicine and did no service for humans, so its extinction could be celebrated as an achievement towards the creation of a more civilised world. Around 30 natural history sources written between the 16th and 18th centuries remark on the absence of the wolf from England, Wales and much of Scotland. [...]

In Pococke’s 1760 Tour of Scotland, he describes being told about a wild species of cat – which seems, incredibly, to be a lynx – still living in the old county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the south-west of Scotland. Much of Pococke’s description of this cat is tied up with its persecution, apparently including an extra cost that the fox-hunter charges for killing lynxes:

They have also a wild cat three times as big as the common cat. [...] It is said they will attack a man who would attempt to take their young one [...]. The country pays about £20 a year to a person who is obliged to come and destroy the foxes when they send to him. [...]

The capercaillie is another example of a species whose decline was correctly recognised by early modern writers. Today, this large turkey-like bird [...] is found only rarely in the north of Scotland, but 250–500 years ago it was recorded in the west of Ireland as well as a swathe of Scotland north of the central belt. [...] Charles Smith, the prolific Dublin-based author who had theorised about the decline of herring on the coast of County Down, also recorded the capercaillie in County Cork in the south of Ireland, but noted: This bird is not found in England and now rarely in Ireland, since our woods have been destroyed. [...] Despite being protected by law in Scotland from 1621 and in Ireland 90 years later, the capercaillie went extinct in both countries in the 18th century [...].

---

Images, captions, and all text above by: Lee Raye. “Wildlife wonders of Britain and Ireland before the industrial revolution – my research reveals all the biodiversity we’ve lost.” The Conversation. 17 July 2023. [Map by Lee Raye. Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[bijoutarot]

Where Is Your Path Currently Taking You?

Pick An Image

Image 1

Image 1 you have been fighting hard for a long time now. You have been resilient against many odds that were stacked against you. You have made decisions based on logic instead of your heart. An ending of a tough cycle is fast approaching. It is time to start considering to let your guard down again. You have been fighting for so long that you forgot how it feels to be vulnerable with someone. You have been so used to being a lone wolf guarding yourself from everyone. You are being guided to reevaluate who you are, who you are allowing into your life, and who are just not aligned with your new path. You have outgrown a lot of friendships and you lost interest in rekindling relationships that are low vibrational. You are entering a new era but remember not everyone is against you.

Image 2

Image 2 expect to meet someone that reminds you of your childhood. This person can be from your home town and know all of the go to spots to hang out or musical artists from the past. This person has a lot in common with you which will keep you interested. This new person will be fiery, outspoken, and sometimes says the craziest things at the worst moments. Everything will be perfect about this person except for one big secret. This will change your opinion of this person but a part of you wants to still be part of their life. Expect to meet someone who is your wish fulfillment but comes with baggage.

Image 3

Image 3 there is a decision that you made recently that has some long term effects. You are wondering about making the wrong move so you have made an abrupt stop. You worry about a lot of things so you are not living to the fullest. You are very calculated and overthink. It is okay to make a mistake. We often learn more from our errors than when we succeed. You want to manifest something that you are so passionate about. You are willing to make sacrifices just to make sure you will make it. You might have stopped doing things you enjoyed or hanging out with certain people to stay focused. Be mindful of people you disclose your next moves, success, or concerns. Misery loves company and it is often infectious. Move in silence.

Image 4

Image 4 you are walking down a path that is leading you to abundance and wish fulfillment. There will be new opportunities that will be coming your way. All of your hard work will pay off whether it is a business idea, your social media, or a raise at your job. You are entering a season of growth. Something that you have been nurturing and consistently looking after will grow rapidly and suddenly. You will have people wanting to be around you because of you positive energy and luck. This is your lucky season!

Which image resonates?

[schizoidvision]

5 Reasons Why Schizoids May View Emotional Vulnerability as Weakness

Emotional vulnerability is often seen as a strength in many contexts, yet for individuals with schizoid traits, it can evoke a different response. Many schizoids may view displays of emotional vulnerability as weakness. This perspective is rooted in our internal dynamics, past experiences, and unique coping mechanisms. Here are five reasons why this perception might develop...

Emphasis on Emotional Independence:

Schizoids tend to prioritize emotional self-sufficiency. For many of us, emotional independence provides a sense of control and stability in an otherwise unpredictable world. Vulnerability, with its reliance on others for emotional support, might be perceived as a loss of this autonomy, leading to an internal judgment of it as a form of weakness.

2. Early Experiences of Emotional Invalidity:

Many schizoids have histories of emotional neglect or invalidation. Growing up in environments where emotions were dismissed, overwhelming, or weaponized can lead to a subconscious belief that vulnerability is dangerous or unwise. This internalized view may make emotional openness seem impractical or even harmful.

3. Preference for Rational Over Emotional Processing:

Schizoids often lean toward intellectual and logical modes of understanding the world. Emotional expressions, which can appear unpredictable or unstructured, may conflict with this preference. As a result, emotional vulnerability might be devalued or misunderstood, reinforcing the perception that it lacks utility or strength.

4. Fear of Emotional Overwhelm:

For some schizoids, the ability to remain detached is a protective mechanism against feelings of overwhelm or emotional pain. Witnessing others openly express vulnerability might trigger discomfort or even anxiety, as it confronts them with emotions they’ve worked hard to suppress. This fear can result in labeling vulnerability as weakness rather than facing its implications.

5. Misinterpretation of Strength in Vulnerability:

The schizoid need for emotional distance can create a limited perspective on what constitutes strength. Vulnerability, which requires courage and trust in others, may be misinterpreted as dependency or fragility. However, this view often overlooks the resilience required to be open and authentic in the face of uncertainty or potential rejection.

Reevaluating Perceptions of Vulnerability...

While it’s natural for us to perceive vulnerability through the lens of our own experiences, this perception is not necessarily fixed. By exploring the origins of our beliefs and recognizing the diverse ways strength manifests, we can cultivate a broader understanding of emotional dynamics. This doesn’t mean abandoning our preference for detachment but rather giving consideration to a more nuanced perspective.

[mercurialgirlstudios]

This Week in Astrology

✨Monday, April 7th: Venus Rx conjunct Saturn, Venus Rx sextile Uranus, Mercury stations Direct

We most commonly associate Venus with love but this is also the planet of value, our little pleasures, and the things that we buy. Today, innovative ideas could prompt a reevaluation of these topics —and it’s time to get serious about them. What structures need to be in place for you to get more value out of life?

With Mercury stationing direct on this same day, remember that this is still our training wheel period. For the next few weeks, it is your time to really integrate your lessons learned during the retrograde.

✨Tuesday, April 8th: Mars trine North Node

This is a great day for putting energy into what you intuitively feel the most magnetized to, aiming to make those goals more secure.

✨Saturday, April 12th: Sun conjunct Chiron, Full Moon in Libra, Venus stations Direct

What a full moon this will be! The ruling planet of this moon stations direct, passionately inspired. Then we have Chiron, the wounded healer and teacher, playing a role in this story. This lunation is a culmination of lessons learned within partnership and how we balance self vs. other. Chiron in Aries with the Sun highlights wounded lessons to learn surrounding our sense of independence, with the moon reflecting this within our partnerships. We learned many lessons in love, value, and harmony while Venus was retrograde. This lunation shows that there is power in vulnerability and it’s time to step out of the protective shell of hyper-independence. Harmony is what moves us forward.

Message me to book a reading!

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @artaxlivs! ArtaxLivs has 21 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and all of them are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by ArtaxLivs:

Nobody's Baby

Off the Shelf

Even Flowers Have Their Dangers

An Accidental Flogging

There's Something Wrong With Steve

"I really love the ideas and character voices ArtaxLivs has for Steve and Eddie in her fics. She writes canon and AU's that all feel distinct and true to the characters, ranging from angst to fluff and everything in between. There's a little something for everyone in her works, and she's still actively writing new things in the Steddie tag!" -- anonymous

Below the cut, ArtaxLivs answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I really love a “golden boy” who questions his own existence. Steve’s worldview got rocked in S1 and instead of reacting by running away or digging in his heels and continuing to be a jerk, he reevaluated, allowing himself to relearn how to approach the world. And Eddie is just a gremlin, a force of anarchy who bucks the societal norms but, really, that’s a cover for how vulnerable he feels because he’s gay in a world and time that sneers at the gentle parts of him. He’s terrified but if he’s loud and obnoxious, maybe no one will get close enough to find out. Together, they just make sense. Because Steve is seeing who people are instead of looking at what they present now, he sees what Eddie’s hiding. And instead of hurting him, he wants to support him. And Eddie, despite his brash words about “King Steve,” he just really wants to believe in a hero. No matter what AU they’re in, I try to maintain those core traits for each of them because that’s what I love about them.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

To read? Oh man, all of them? I’m a slut for variety so I’ll read any trope really. I do love a good soulmate trope though. Especially with unlikely soulmates who just go all in when they find each other - regardless of how they’d felt before the match.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Found family. Found Family has carried me through the toughest of times. That trope finds it’s way into all of my fics, so much that I forget to tag it most of the time because I don’t really exist without it. I was a young bisexual in a time when we were told “bisexual aren’t real” so even the gay spaces were not always safe. Drag Queens and older gay men saved me from pretending to either be straight or be a lesbian when I was 21 and felt so unaccepted by both sides. We all lived in an apartment building together and they accepted me as is. They loved me and let me be myself. They would hit on the dudes I brought home and gush over the girls. Throughout my adult life, I’ve done my best to be that for all the queer kids who’ve come through my wardrobe room at the theater. Be the family I so desperately needed and was lucky enough to eventually find.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I don’t think I could pick a favorite favorite but I have read and listened to Roll for Initiative by Alchemystique (the podfic by Silverkat1620) an embarrassing amount of times.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I actually haven’t written a Steddie soulmate fic yet. I had an idea sitting in my google docs for like two years and I’ve currently got just the opening scene. I’m writing it for an event so it’ll get finished and see the light of day in the fall. I’m excited to see where it takes me.

What is your writing process like?

I have an idea and I throw it into a google doc. If it’s a fully formed idea, I’ll just get it all out right away. It’s like a giant wall of “then this, then this, then this” that I then write a semi-cohesive outline for but if it’s just an errant idea, I’ll leave it in the docs untitled and when I stumble upon it again, it will often spark that wall of text and I’ll plan it out. After the wall of “idea,” I give it a title because I like for the fic to gravitate around the title, I like for the reader to get to a point in the fic and have an ah-ha moment where they look at the title and realize that’s where the meaning is. I usually put a few keywords at the top of my google doc that will carry out through the fic, reminders like mood settings I guess? And then I start writing. Usually I’ll pick a song to play before I start working on it each time. To get my brain in the mindspace for that fic. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

I only listen to piano instrumental covers of time period correct music while I’m actively writing. So piano covers of 80s music for Steddie. 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I prefer to write a fic completely, editing and everything, before I post. The only time I didn’t, it took me a year and a half to finish it and it wasn’t even that long. Apologies to the people who waited for me to finish “There’s Something Wrong With Steve.”

Which fic are you most proud of?

Probably “Even Flowers Have Their Dangers.” I don’t see images in my head, just ideas or knowledge of an object/place etc. so writing out a battle scene with so many moving parts and people was complicated. And sometimes when we have that many people in a scene, we lose the less important characters in the shuffle. In real life, no one stands around in a group without saying anything for hours. That would be weird. In that fic, I had multiple scenes where there were more than five people, one that had eleven people and a ton of action and I feel like I did them all justice. I used DnD minis on a map I’d drawn out of the scene and when I edited the scene days later, I tally marked the minis to make sure I’d referenced everyone enough to keep the flow moving and had them speaking enough that we didn’t forget they were there. I’m really proud of that.

How did you get the idea for There's Something Wrong With Steve?

Actually, my husband was re-watching Lost and the guy who plays John Locke played the stepfather in the 80s movie The Stepfather and for a big chunk of that movie, you’re not sure if he’s actually a bad guy. He is, he’s terrifying. And I just thought about how most of the Steddie monster fics go with DnD lore and it’s Eddie as Kas but what if it was Steve and even Steve didn’t know…And I tried to maintain that balance of is he?/isn’t he? for as long as I could. I also wrote Eddie’s thoughts in a choppy cadence that sort of built and became clearer toward the end so the reader would feel unsure and anxious right up until I went in for the kill. And then when they thought they were safe, I pulled the rug out from under them again.

When writing An Accidental Flogging, what was something you didn’t expect?

The towel. Originally, it was just Eddie slapping Steve’s ass and it was called “An Accidental Spanking.” But it built itself around so much locker room type teasing in the kitchen that it just worked so well to have him use a towel. The whole fic is them kind of falling into kink because they can’t figure out how to admit their feelings and towel snapping always looks like naked jock flirting to me so…

What inspired Even Flowers Have Their Dangers?

The white outfit that El wears through most of S4. It’s such a male director trope and I’m so over it. I’m a costume designer so I spend a lot of time looking at costumes and color choices. It’s such a virginity trope to put the young teenage girl in all white to show her innocence. She’s wearing color at school, and again at the rink but after she hits that girl with the skate and the agents come for her, she’s in white pants, a white thermal and a blue plaid. Because she did hit that girl, so not completely innocent. But unlike earlier seasons where her scuba suit is gray, it’s WHITE this time. Because we, the viewers, are hunting for the REAL monster. The white pants and shirt into the white scuba outfit and back into her white pants and shirt for the trip home - so if we are paying attention, we know that El is innocent. That she didn’t kill everyone in the lab, no matter how they’re setting it up. And that made me think of the song “I know things now” from Into the Woods and how El thinks Henry is nice, but we know he isn’t good because we already know that nice adult men don’t build relationships with little girls. And we know that “nice is different than good” but El, innocent and sequestered in a lab, has never strayed from the path, so she doesn’t know the difference. And then I made the party all wolves and put Henry in “human clothing” to kind of flip our imagine of what constitutes a monster.

What was your favorite part to write from Even Flowers Have Their Dangers?

The scene with Henry wearing “Max.” It was horrifying and I cried through it. I cry everytime I read it. Having the opportunity to write a scene that hurts my own soul is such a rush. I got done with it and I had to go outside and take some deep breaths. Children in mortal danger is kind of triggering for me and everything with Max in this is both traumatic and cathartic. I also love the moments when Joyce accepts and hugs Eddie. Because at the end of s3, after Hop dies, Joyce hugs Will but El is standing there alone. She and Joyce look at each other and Joyce just hugs Will tighter and turns away leaving El to cry alone and that’s bullshit. I would never. No parent would ever do that, leave her to cry alone? No. So anytime I can have Joyce rewrite that moment by hugging one of the kids, I do it. And so many people have commented on it so it makes me really proud to have made them feel that hug too, you know?

How do/did you feel writing Off the Shelf?

Ha, this fic is so…unapologetically raunchy? I guess that’s a good word. I wrote it thinking about all the gay men I’m friends with and what they think is hot, the body parts they focus on, the times they say “that’s hot” when I’m like “oh jesus, my eyes!” And I think I achieved it? Hopefully? That’s the fic that I’ve had the most gay men, trans men, non binary peeps reach out and be like “this one - mmhmm yup.” And damn, that’s so nice to hear.

What was the most difficult part of writing Nobody's Baby?

Staying within the outline of Dirty Dancing and keeping the time period just as nebulous. That movie is costumed like it’s the 60s, the historic events referenced put them in like the 50s and the soundtrack is 80s music. Makes no sense. I tried to let it stretch between the 80s and a modern setting without really setting it in one specific time. But still somehow making a queer relationship something that wasn’t a plot point. Because I didn’t want it to be about that at all. 

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I really love the bonding that happens between Steve & Mike in “Let Me Be Your Man (I Want to Hold Your Hand)” as Steve is teaching Mike how to make a mixed tape for his secret crush. Who Steve has already figured out is Will. It’s a Steddie fic but it centers around Steve letting Mike know that he’s not alone. And Mike letting his guard down just a little. It has a podfic recorded by Rattlandhum (thirdeye1234) and their voice is gorgeous. It’s the icing on the cake for that fic for me. And I love when Steve tells Robin in “Right From the Start, I Gave You My Heart” that they’re “just two chocolate chip cookies in a world full of oatmeal raisin.” because platonic love is pretty damn beautiful. (That one also has a podfic by the amazing Flowerparrish)

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I’m currently writing a fic for the Steddie BigBang 2025. And Flowerparrish and I have been brainstorming a Steddie & the Party fic that zer will podfic that’s got some cool dream elements happening. I’ve also decided to finish my “18 Candles” Steddie fic that I’ve been sitting on for far too long that has a really fun Eddie & Robin friendship that I love so much. They get to be weird and awkward together. And Flowerparrish is currently recording a podfic of my “Even Flowers Have Their Dangers” and I’m GIDDY about it.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just a very heartfelt thank you. This fandom has been incredibly supportive and fun. I’ve made so many friends - some fellow writers but some people who are just really amazingly supportive readers and cheerleaders. And the entire fandom’s fics are so varied. It’s been a blast not just writing them but also reading other writers fics right alongside everyone else.

Thank you to our author, @artaxlivs, and our nominator! See more of ArtaxLivs's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[soulhealingastrologywithamanda]

Today’s Astrology-April 12th, 2025

SUN CONJUNCT CHIRON- 11:59am (EST)

Keywords: Healing wounds, embracing vulnerability, self-identity, courage, inner strength, reclaiming power, self-discovery, breaking free from past pain.

LIBRA FULL MOON- 8:22pm (EST)

Keywords: Balance, relationships, harmony, release, emotional clarity, partnership dynamics, finding equilibrium, letting go of what no longer serves.

VENUS STATIONS DIRECT IN PISCES- 9:02pm (EST)

Keywords: Clarity in love, renewed compassion, spiritual connections, emotional healing, reevaluating values, moving forward in relationships, aligning with heart’s truth.

The Libra Full Moon brings a powerful opportunity for healing and perspective shifts, amplified by Venus stationing direct just 40 minutes later—a significant moment as Venus rules this Full Moon.

The chart features a Yod formation, with the Libra Moon at the apex, quincunx both Venus (stationing direct) and Uranus in Taurus. This configuration highlights our vulnerabilities, urging us to detach, heal, and transform self-sabotaging behaviors, conscious or unconscious.

The Sun conjunct Chiron in Aries adds intensity, creating a “boomerang” effect within the Yod, accelerating the healing process by offering new awareness and opportunities.

This alignment shifts our values toward empowerment, helping us release what no longer serves. As Venus stations direct, we’ll revisit and refine themes from her retrograde, letting go of outdated energies and focusing on what uplifts and inspires us. Pay attention to what sparks joy and creativity—this is where your true power lies!

~Amanda~

Images by: Savannah

[astroa3h]

Mars Enters Leo ✨

Mars entered Leo on November 3, 2024 setting the stage for a dramatic journey that’s going to feel like we’re all living out our own Overboard moment — one of my favorite movies. Have you seen it? Just like Joanna, Goldie Hawn’s unforgettable character, we’re about to get stripped of our comfort zones, thrown into an emotional vortex, 💔 and challenged to find who we really are beneath the glitter and bravado. 

In Leo, Mars wants us to be bold, strong, and fearless, our inner Joanna on that yacht, perfectly in control. But come January, when Mars retrogrades back into Cancer, we’re plunged into unfamiliar waters, 🌊 forced to confront the vulnerable parts of ourselves we’ve tried to hide. We may feel lost or exhausted, like Joanna when she faces amnesia and finds her self scrubbing floors while wondering who she even is anymore. 

But if the character Joanna taught us anything, it’s that sometimes losing the life we think we need is the only way to find the life we truly want. By February, when Mars turns direct, we’ll emerge with a new understanding of ourselves. Not just the shiny, confident parts, but the raw, resilient spirit that’s always been there. So hold on tight, because this journey isn’t about staying in control; it’s about uncovering the depths of who we are when we LET GO! 🥹🥹🥹

Let’s explore how this Mars-in-Leo-and-Cancer transit might affect you based on the house Mars is and will be transiting.

1st House (Self, Identity, Physical Body)

Mars in Leo brings a surge in confidence, pushing you to change your look or assert your goals boldly. You may start a fitness routine or reinvent your style. Retrograde in Cancer, however, could bring self-doubt or fatigue, prompting you to reflect on your identity and values. By April, you’ll emerge with a refined self-image, grounded in authenticity, feeling stronger and more self-assured in how you present yourself to the world.

2nd House (Finances, Values, Self-Worth)

Mars in Leo energizes your drive for financial growth, encouraging you to make bold investments or explore new income sources. This might lead to a purchase or decision that symbolizes your values. During retrograde in Cancer, financial setbacks or expenses may surface, prompting a reevaluation of your spending habits. By April, you’ll feel more financially stable, with a clear understanding of your priorities and an improved approach to self-worth.

3rd House (Communication, Learning, Siblings)

Mars in Leo will boost your communication style, making you more expressive and confident. You might start a blog, initiate a new learning project, or take on sibling matters actively. Retrograde in Cancer, however, could lead to misunderstandings or introspection on how you connect with others. By April, you’ll find your voice stronger and clearer, enhancing your relationships with siblings, friends, and your approach to learning or local matters.

4th House (Home, Family, Roots)

Mars in Leo energizes your home life, sparking a desire to make changes in your living space or tackle family issues. You may consider moving, redecorating, or taking a more active role within family dynamics. Retrograde in Cancer might bring old family issues to light, prompting deep reflection on past connections. By April, you’ll establish a more harmonious and secure home, ready to embrace your roots and nurture your personal sanctuary.

5th House (Creativity, Romance, Pleasure)

Mars in Leo lights up your creative and romantic life, encouraging bold moves in love or passion projects. You might take a risk on a new romance or dive into an artistic venture. Retrograde in Cancer, however, could bring up past relationship issues or make you question what brings genuine joy. By April, you’ll have clarity on what truly fulfills you, ready to focus on relationships and creative pursuits that offer lasting satisfaction.

6th House (Health, Work, Daily Routines)

Mars in Leo motivates you to take charge of your health and work routines, perhaps starting a fitness plan or tackling professional goals with vigor. Retrograde in Cancer might bring fatigue or health concerns, prompting a reassessment of your self-care habits. By April, you’ll have established a balanced routine that supports both your productivity and well-being, allowing you to achieve goals sustainably without burnout.

7th House (Relationships, Partnerships)

Mars in Leo intensifies your partnerships, inspiring bold actions in relationships and a desire to set clear boundaries. You may feel drawn to confront unresolved issues or clarify expectations. Retrograde in Cancer might bring back past relationship dynamics or make you reflect on emotional needs in partnerships. By April, you’ll have gained insights into what you need from relationships, ready to invest in bonds that support both passion and stability.

8th House (Intimacy, Transformation, Shared Resources)

Mars in Leo drives deep transformations in intimacy and shared resources, prompting you to set boundaries in financial partnerships or open up emotionally. Retrograde in Cancer may bring up trust issues, delays in shared finances, or fears related to vulnerability. By April, you’ll have achieved a stronger understanding of how to navigate intimacy and shared resources, feeling more empowered and secure in both financial and emotional matters.

9th House (Adventure, Higher Learning, Beliefs)

Mars in Leo pushes you toward adventure, encouraging travel, higher learning, or a philosophical shift. You may feel a strong urge to expand your horizons through new experiences or studies. Retrograde in Cancer, however, could delay plans or bring doubts about your direction, making you question your beliefs. By April, you’ll have a clearer vision for your future, ready to embrace new goals and experiences that truly resonate with your values.

10th House (Career, Reputation, Goals)

Mars in Leo energizes your career, motivating you to pursue new responsibilities or leadership roles. You may find yourself tackling big projects or gaining recognition. Retrograde in Cancer could bring professional setbacks or make you question long-term goals, encouraging a reassessment of your career path. By April, you’ll have refined your vision for success, ready to pursue goals that align with your purpose and bring true fulfillment.

11th House (Friendships, Community, Future Goals)

Mars in Leo boosts your social life, inspiring you to take an active role in community projects or future goals. You may feel driven to expand your network or initiate group ventures. Retrograde in Cancer might bring back old friends or prompt a re-evaluation of your social connections. By April, you’ll have clarity on who supports your growth, ready to invest in friendships and group endeavors that resonate with your authentic self.

12th House (Spirituality, Subconscious, Hidden Matters)

Mars in Leo stirs your inner world, pushing you to confront hidden fears or embark on a spiritual journey. You may feel drawn to self-reflection, meditation, or therapeutic practices. Retrograde in Cancer could bring up unresolved emotions or past wounds, prompting a period of introspection. By April, you’ll feel a renewed sense of inner peace, having released old baggage and gained a deeper understanding of your spiritual path.

Sending you all my love and blessings, Ash (@AstroA3h via Instagram & TikTok) 💓 Ready for your own personal reading? Visit astroash.net to book yours today! ✨

[sagistrology]

𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖑𝖚𝖙𝖔 𝖎𝖓 𝖆𝖖𝖚𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖘 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖙 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖆𝖈𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 (𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖕𝖎𝖔, 𝖘𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖘, 𝖈𝖆𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖓)

(these observations are general and do not cover all aspects)

♇ the significance of pluto lies in its association with disruption - 'death' in both a symbolic and literal sense, regeneration, and rebirth. in each respective sign, pluto demands collective change through the sign's principles, without compromise. as an outer planet its personal implications can be more subtle, yet they intrinsically affect you.

♇ think of pluto as the wound of perception, subconsciously impacting us through trauma - whether individually or collectively.

♇ pluto dismantles and doesn't console, but rather pushes you to the edge in order for you to evolve and reclaim your power.

collective impact - pluto in aquarius

♇ in the ‘humanitarian’ sign, combined with pluto’s implications, we’re likely to see the previously established overturned and reformed. fragile structures, ‘unjust’ power, and inauthenticity can be expected to be dismantled on a large scale. authority and its ability will be questioned, along with blatant lies being exposed. this can be a time of societal values centring on communities, a collective, factual questioning of the status quo, and a critical eye on institutions, as well as the power held by them. think of uncompromising idealism, protests in reaction to crises and human rights violations, and redefining morality - centred on equality. discernment is invaluable.

♇ we're likely to see an influx of information and graphic exposure to humanity's deepest wounds, demonstrating the fragility of our existence.

♇ seeing these vulnerabilities (pluto) in relation to global structures (uranus) this might affect technology at large - highlighting its flaws and shortcomings. in a situational context, this could mean exponential advancements in tech - both positive and negative, e.g. more surveillance, an increase in cyber-attacks, data being deleted, power outages, further implementation of ai, plagiarism, etc.

pluto in scorpio

♇ wound of sorrow and cyclical loss, purging of trauma and ancestral wounds, purification, the occult, pain, rage, and anger.

♇ a gen deeply attuned to crises and disillusioned about the state of the world, sensing the potency of global struggles.

♇ may bring forward hidden information on corporations, political figures or governments through whistleblowers or officials. also paying more attention to their privacy and how their data is being processed.

♇ perhaps seeking positions of mentoring - helping to build a foundation. questioning and reevaluating social circles, looking for connections that align with them and preferring solitude to company that isn't beneficial.

pluto in sagittarius

♇ philosophy, religion, 'meaning', wound of seeking, inquiring, and investigating constrained by structure - often experiencing alienation due to a misalignment with cultural and societal norms.

♇ it will be invaluable to practice groundedness in order to implement idealism, setting an intention but also planning how to achieve this desired state globally, esp. when it comes to activism. can be eccentric, optimism has to be backed by strategies.

♇ themes can include the questioning of authority esp. in academic settings, seeking education outside institutions, and diverse qualifications rather than convention.

♇ may lead to a surge of entrepreneurs, startups, value-based businesses, more autonomy, less traditional employment etc. (working hours or location)

pluto in capricorn

♇ wound of responsibility - pragmatism, endurance, authority, implementation of new baselines, philosophies become policies - tradition and identity, social responsibility, emotional withdrawal, prone to anxiety and depression.

♇ with capricorn being a cardinal sign, there’s an emphasis on death and renewal – signifying new standards, demanding change rather than petitioning for it. these norms may create a sense of detachment from previous generations.

♇ different values and a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, no sugarcoating and radical action, centred on benefitting the masses and pushing boundaries.

[crimsonender]

How do you feel about Lily claiming that intersex people have an uncontrollable libido?

I think that was a part of her fic and, as I've stated before she's just using the popular ERP/Hentai/porn Shemale kink. (Yes I know I don't like that word either but I feel like I need to be frank with this subject.)

I think that she switched to using the term intersex because it's considered more progressive on the surface without realizing the implications she was now making. If you find+replaced the n word out of a piece of racist fiction it would still probably be racist and full of offensive stereotypes.

I hold this kink with the same disdain as the ABO stuff and like the ABO stuff, you *cannot* make it progressive. It's a bioessentialist, intersexist concept. Trying to rehabilitate it with progressive language actually often makes things worse. Just accept it for what it is and stop trying to make the consumption of media and especially fancontent and the porn you look at a form of activism.

I've been rethinking a lot of things and I think I'm back at the conclusion of "if Stockholm was the only thing Lily Orchard did wrong I wouldn't give a shit."

I was aware of Lily for a decade as a stupid mean person that made bad video essays and wasn't very nice. I don't think that's a crime. My mind changed when I heard about Courtney and the harm she caused real people. I have plenty of videos where I pick apart other YouTubers content, I like making those videos, that's all I wanted to do and then things got weird and complicated. I am in the midst of untangling and reframing my perspective on a lot of things.

That is to say that I think the whole Bitch Eating Crackers thing has extended into some people getting a little trigger happy with trans women. Are there some people in the LGBTQIA community that are in conflict and even harming our most vulnerable members? Absolutely. And, I feel like I'm on the cusp of something I'm having to take a step back from because individuals like Orchard are very rare. A lot rarer than some people are presenting them as. The world isn't divided into Good People vs Lily Orchard and people like her. I seriously don't give a shit that someone wrote a Gooner fanfic about ponies a decade and a half ago. I care about the material harm, I care about patterns of behaviour escalating and getting worse and trails of victims that leaves behind.

I'm at a crossroads and rethinking a lot of stuff right now so I ask for patience. I am not disavowing any of my cohorts and largely I believe the people with hurt feelings have valid reasons to be hurt, and. I need to reevaluate my own actions and if they align with my core moral values. Thanks for the anon. It kind of spurned a bigger semi related post and I'm sorry that I'm feeling so complicated right now and for any pain that might be causing the people in this space.

[sensualnoiree]

daily transits & horoscopes 12/8

Pluto’s conjunction with Ceres in Aquarius signals a profound opportunity to transform familial, social, and collective relationships. In myth, Pluto (Hades) and Ceres (Demeter) were adversaries, representing themes of loss, renewal, and negotiation. This alignment urges us to confront past wounds and power struggles within our communities and families, creating space for a foundation rooted in mutual acceptance and support. The Aquarian influence brings a forward-thinking energy, inviting innovative solutions to old conflicts while emphasizing the collective good.

Rising Sign Delineations:

Aries Rising This conjunction activates your eleventh house of friendships and community, prompting a reevaluation of group dynamics and how you support and are supported by your network. Power struggles may emerge, but this is also a chance to build stronger, more authentic connections with like-minded individuals.

Taurus Rising In your tenth house of career and public life, Pluto and Ceres invite a transformation in your professional relationships and long-term goals. You may find yourself renegotiating power dynamics in the workplace, seeking collaboration over competition. This is a time to cultivate mutual respect and shared vision in your career path.

Gemini Rising The ninth house is illuminated, inspiring profound shifts in your beliefs, education, or worldview. Relationships with mentors or those who share your intellectual pursuits may take center stage, urging a redefinition of how you connect through shared philosophies. Embrace opportunities to learn from others while asserting your individuality.

Cancer Rising This conjunction in your eighth house of shared resources and intimacy encourages a deep transformation in how you handle emotional or financial partnerships. It’s time to confront lingering resentments and power imbalances, paving the way for healthier, more supportive exchanges. Trust and vulnerability are key themes now.

Leo Rising Pluto and Ceres meet in your relationship sector, sparking profound shifts in partnerships. Whether romantic, platonic, or professional, this is a moment to reevaluate dynamics and build connections based on mutual respect and authenticity. Let go of control tactics and embrace compromise for deeper intimacy.

Virgo Rising In your sixth house of work and health, this conjunction brings transformative energy to your routines and collaborations. You may need to renegotiate how responsibilities are shared, both at work and in daily life. Focus on creating systems that support balance and mutual well-being.

Libra Rising Pluto and Ceres align in your fifth house of creativity, romance, and self-expression, urging you to heal old wounds related to how you share your passions with others. Power struggles in creative or romantic partnerships can be transformed into opportunities for deeper connection and collaboration.

Scorpio Rising This conjunction activates your fourth house of home and family, calling for a reevaluation of familial relationships and domestic foundations. Old power dynamics may resurface, but this is also a time to create a more supportive and nurturing environment that reflects mutual acceptance.

Sagittarius Rising Pluto and Ceres meet in your third house of communication, challenging you to transform how you express yourself and connect with those in your immediate environment. Conversations with siblings, neighbors, or close friends may uncover deeper truths, paving the way for greater understanding and mutual respect.

Capricorn Rising In your second house of finances and values, this conjunction invites you to rethink how you share resources and align with your core priorities. It’s a time to confront power struggles related to money or possessions, building a foundation of shared values and mutual support.

Aquarius Rising With Pluto and Ceres in your sign, you are the center of this transformative energy. It’s a profound moment of personal growth, urging you to reconcile parts of yourself that may feel at odds. As you embrace your authentic self, you’ll inspire healthier dynamics in your relationships and community.

Pisces Rising This conjunction in your twelfth house highlights deep psychological or spiritual work. Old patterns related to loss, power, or caregiving may surface, providing an opportunity for healing. Embrace practices that help you let go of the past and create space for supportive, soul-aligned connections.

follow for more astro insights like this and head on over to @quenysefields or my etsy --> sensualnoiree to grab my new astrology guidebook on reading your own natal chart :)

[sunshinesmebdy]

Asteroid Juno in Scorpio: Deepening Commitments & Birthing a New Life

Asteroid Juno, named after the Roman goddess of marriage, governs our approach to commitment, loyalty, and long-term partnerships. When Juno enters Scorpio — a sign of intensity, depth, and transformation — it bring a powerful, transformative energy to every area of life where loyalty and bonds are central. This is a time to confront hidden truths, dive deep into emotional and practical commitments, build lasting connections in personal, financial, and professional realms. The profound ways Juno in Scorpio will influence us and how to harness this energy will catapult us to growth.

Juno in Scorpio pushes us to evaluate the depth and authenticity of our relationships. This transit calls for raw honesty and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths in our personal lives. Are your relationships based on genuine trust and emotional intimacy? Scorpio’s energy uncovers hidden dynamics, bringing unresolved issues to the surface for transformation. This is an opportunity to shed toxic patterns, let go of superficial connections, and cultivate bonds that are rooted in mutual respect and vulnerability.

During this time, you may find yourself asking hard questions: Are you fully showing up for your partner or loved ones? Are they reciprocating? Juno in Scorpio teaches us that true commitment requires emotional honesty and a willingness to transform together. By leaning into this energy, you can strengthen your relationships, deepen emotional intimacy, and forge connections that stand the test of time. However, relationships that are not built on trust may dissolve, making space for healthier, more aligned partnerships.

In the financial realm, Juno in Scorpio focuses on shared resources and partnerships. Scorpio rules money tied to others — whether through joint ventures, investments, or inheritances — making this an ideal time to reevaluate the financial dynamics in your life. This transit encourages you to approach financial commitments with a strategic mindset, seeking out collaborations and alliances that have the potential to transform your financial future.

However, Scorpio’s energy also comes with a warning: this sign thrives in the shadows, which means secrets or hidden agendas may arise. Be cautious with financial agreements, contracts, or partnerships during this time. It’s crucial to ensure transparency, address power imbalances, and thoroughly review the terms of any financial arrangement. Scorpio rewards those who approach financial matters with wisdom and intuition.

By aligning with trustworthy individuals or organizations, you can leverage shared resources to build wealth and stability. This is also a good time to consolidate debts, focus on financial planning, and explore investments that offer transformative potential, such as real estate, joint ventures, or long-term projects.

Professionally, Juno in Scorpio shines a spotlight on commitment and power dynamics in the workplace. This transit is about strengthening professional alliances, deepening loyalty to your career goals, and navigating challenges with strategy and intuition. Scorpio’s energy encourages you to uncover hidden opportunities, making it a great time to dig beneath the surface and pursue projects or collaborations that others may overlook.

However, Scorpio’s intensity also reveals power struggles or unspoken tensions within professional relationships. Pay attention to dynamics at work — are there imbalances that need to be addressed? Are you being fully recognized for your contributions? Juno in Scorpio teaches us to remain loyal to our goals while also standing firm in our values.

This transit may also inspire a transformative shift in your career. You might feel drawn to leave unfulfilling roles, restructure partnerships, or commit more deeply to professional endeavors that align with your long-term vision. By focusing on collaboration, trust, and empowerment, you can build professional relationships that support your growth and lead to long-term success.

Juno in Scorpio offers a profound opportunity to transform how we approach commitment, partnerships, and loyalty. To fully benefit from this energy, start by embracing vulnerability and honesty in your relationships. Scorpio thrives on truth, so this is a time to have open, candid conversations about what you need and what you’re willing to give in return. Authenticity is the key to unlocking deeper emotional connections.

Financially, take a strategic approach to your resources and collaborations. Review agreements, seek transparency, and ensure that your financial commitments align with your values and long-term goals. Trust your intuition, but back it up with thorough research and planning.

Professionally, focus on building alliances that empower you and align with your career vision. Be willing to release roles, projects, or partnerships that no longer serve your growth, and pursue opportunities that challenge you to evolve. Remember, Scorpio’s transformative energy rewards those who are willing to embrace change.

Finally, this is a time to let go of what no longer serves you — whether it’s outdated beliefs, toxic relationships, or unproductive habits. Scorpio’s energy encourages us to shed the old to make space for the new, leading to profound personal and external transformation.

Juno in Scorpio is not a transit of lightheartedness or ease — it’s a time of depth, intensity, and transformation. It asks us to dig deep, confront hidden truths, and embrace change in order to create partnerships, strategies, and plans that are enduring and transformative. While this energy may feel intense at times, it’s also deeply rewarding, offering the opportunity to build a life that aligns with your deepest values and aspirations.

By aligning with this transit, we can cultivate relationships, financial plans, and professional connections that are not only powerful but also authentic and long-lasting. Let Juno in Scorpio inspire you to commit deeply, transform boldly, and evolve into the next chapter of your life.

[curapicas]

I find it curious Link Click uses the twins flashback to shove on our faces right away the parallels between Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianchen. Both combative boys, protective of their family, somewhat naive in different ways and quite enamoured with looking cool. So yeah, there's parallels, but to be fair the writing is good enough that you can find parallels with the main duo regarding any of the new s2 characters. And I think Link Click cleverly does that so we only realize closer to the finale what is, in my opinion, the strongest parallel: Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianxi.

They are both "the babies" of the group. Whereas Cheng Xiaoshi has two endlessly nagging friends who often scold him and push him to do better, Li Tianxi lost both her mother and a brother capable of caring for her, thus her needs go ignored as she grows up with Qian Jin. Qiao Ling and Lu Guang work together with CXS to earn a living/pay off his debt, LTX is used by her family to carry out the shady stuff they don't really need to do (both CXS and LTX get in extremely emotional and vulnerable situations because of it).

Cheng Xiaoshi eventually grows and understands his powers as a duty, and even though LG and QL still try to shield him from the worst*, they look proud whenever he shows what he's capable of (QL even calls him cool!). LTX's one "act of rebellion" is framed as a betrayal and she's straight up murdered. In the confrontation, she even prefers hiding behind CXS, whom she met hours beforehand, exactly bc she knows what her family is capable of.

Both are sensitive people, burdened by well-meaning actions with over-the-top consequences (it hurts to try and explain this one). In (this specific trauma for) CXS case, he was already an adult and in s2 spends the entire time reevaluating and adapting; in LTX's, she was a child and hardly knew how to deal with this guilt and /waves hands/ everything after

I really like this parallel of their running and emotional actions setting off this part of the plot. They cross paths, but the people they help do not have their fate changed significantly by this. But those moments where they FEEL Emma (+Lu Guang in this specific parallel) and Chen Bin were enough to carry LTX and CXS both into their roles in the story.

LTX finally "goes back" to the home she idealized, CXS is waiting at home for his parents. They cross paths, both get shot in that tunnel, but just as quickly go down opposite directions. LTX out of care for her (criminal) brother, parts with him; while CXS waits, he also built a new home for himself with new people he can call family. There's hope for him yet.

*tbh they're a biiiit controlling, but I can see that habit developing through the years, not because they don't mean well

[sturnsstar]

Treat you better ✶ Matt Sturniolo pt. 1

⋆.˚pairing: fem!reader x Matt Sturniolo

⋆.˚warnings: angst and fluff, swearing, reader has a panic attack and is very insecure. SMUT in the next part!!

⋆.˚requested: no.

⋆.˚summary: After reader's boyfriend breaks up with her, she starts feeling unworthy of anyone's love. Luckily, her friend Matt is ready to prove her otherwise.

P.S. english is not my first language.

Even though I’m trying  not to think about it, everything seems so hard right now. I feel drained and tired: every cell of my body is screaming at me to run away and hide from everyone. I don’t  want to be here, at this party, full of people I don’t know who are not aware of my feelings at this very moment.

My boyfriend, or now ex-boyfriend, just dumped me. Right on the spot. Without an apparent motivation or a justification. He made me get ready to accompany him at this stupid party I didn’t want to attend in the first place just to break up with me once there. 

I don’t  know what to do or what to think. Do I just go around this house pretending nothing happened? No one I know is here yet, and there’s a high chance I’ll see that asshole somewhere, probably too occupied to flirt with some random girl, now that he is a free man. 

I read once that heartbreak can actually cause physical pain but never believed it. I have to reevaluate that, because the pain I feel on my chest right now must be real.

I walk through the kitchen and the many bodies crowded there, hoping to reach the back door to get out and find some fresh air. The house feels so constricted, my lungs don’t have enough oxygen to keep functioning normally. Once I realize what I feel coming is a panic attack it’s too late. I should have known the symptoms, since they’ve been so frequent for me the last few months. Between the start of my first Uni year and the numerous fights I had with Hayden, I often found myself with a hand to my chest and my eyes closed, trying to regain my breath and clear my head. The stress and the pressure I felt lately decided to burst through during the most inappropriate times, one of them being right this instant, in a place where I don’t feel safe. 

I am so vulnerable and weak, my head is pounding and I let my eyes close for a few seconds, trying to adjust my breathing. What will I do now? How can I get over this? Tears are streaming down my face, ruining, I’m sure, the make-up I applied a few hours ago.

Suddenly, there’s a warm feeling on my shoulder. A hand, big and smooth, is gripping me tightly, and a voice I think I know from somewhere is calling my name, bringing me back from the dark place I was before.

I open my eyes, finding in front of me a pair of blue eyes with a worried expression, staring right back at me.

“What is it? What happened?” 

I want to tell him, I really do, but words feel like a boulder in my stomach. My mouth opens, but no sound comes out, except for a feeble screech. I feel so ashamed and yet safe, now that Matt is here with me. I am not alone anymore, I know he will help me. He’s the only one who knows what I am going through right now. Matt is always there when I need him, somehow. 

His expression changes, like he suddenly has a realization. He understands what’s wrong with me, even without me saying anything to him.

“Alright, this is what we’ll do. You follow me and we sit down on that bench over there. I will hold your hand, if you want. Think you can do that  for me?”

That is exactly what I need. The reassurance, someone who tells me I can rely on them. So I grab his hand, the one that wasn’t on my shoulder, and my silent answer is enough for him, cause he turns around and starts moving towards the white bench, his hold on me strong and firm. We sit next to each other, his jeans cladded thigh brushing against mine, our hands still connected. 

My breathing slows down, but it’s still a bit difficult for me to talk. Matt speaks again. 

“Listen to my breathing and try to match it. You’re okay. We’re sitting on a bench in a backyard, there’s no one else, just you and me. You can feel safe with me, you know that.”

Of course I know that. It’s one of the few facts I am fully certain of. In all the years I’ve known Matthew Sturniolo, he has never let me down once. He was my favorite playmate at kindergarten; the little boy I went crying to when someone made fun of me in elementary school; the one who copied my math homework through middle school and high school; the boy who knew all about my insecurities and my secrets no one else was aware of.  

I finally stop crying and my breathing goes back to normal after a few minutes, thanks to Matt’s presence and its power to ground me. 

“Will you tell me what happened now?” His face is worried, there’s sadness in his eyes and it irks me to know I am the cause of his apprehension.

So I tell him: I recount the last few months of my life, the ones where he wasn’t present exclusively for the fact that Hayden wanted me to stay away from him. I tell him about the anxiety I’ve been feeling, the fear of not meeting everyone’s expectations over me. I tell him about what happened tonight, how the pain I felt was so unbearable I needed to get away. And he listens, silently, at every word I speak. 

“I am so sorry, Matt, for how I treated you” I whisper, looking at the ground. I am too embarrassed to face him, because he always had a weird feeling about my ex-boyfriend and I never really listened to him. Embarrassed also for the fact that I let him go so easily, just for some stupid tantrum of an insecure guy.

He chuckles, and his hold on my hand tightens. 

“Don’t worry about it, I knew something like that could have happened, with an asshole like Hayden” I laugh at that, releasing a bit of the tension I accumulated tonight. 

“Are you here with your brothers? I haven’t seen them in so long, I miss them” I ask him, feeling ashamed once again and also needy of their company. Chris and Nick were a big part of my childhood as well. My bond with them is not as strong as the one I share with Matt, but the affection I feel for them it’s immense.  

“I left them at the entrance. They’re not very happy with me right now, since I forced them to come to this party. But I knew you were there and had to see you.” Matt smiles and gets up, urging me to do the same. I blink at his last words, but he doesn’t let me elaborate them cause he’s practically dragging me back to the house, his face now covered from my view, but I can notice a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

Turns out, Chris and Nick weren't mad at me either. Well, Nick tried to act tough at the beginning, but seeing my state and the murderous look Matt gave him, he stopped pretty quickly and gave me a warm hug, almost causing me to cry again. I just missed these guys so much, I can’t believe I went without them for three whole months.

We stay at the party for a bit longer, Chris trying his best to make me laugh and generally succeeding, even though some of his best jokes consist of burping in front of his brothers’ faces, causing punches and swears to fly around. 

Matt drives me home. The journey is quiet except for the music playing from the car stereo. He stops in front of his house first to let his brothers go home, and I frown at him. 

“I don’t want to hear them complaining because they’re tired or some shit” he explains to me, and I still look at him with a raised brow, so he just sighs. “Fine, I want to be with you for a while longer without them. Is it so hard to believe?” It is actually hard to believe for me right now. Not because of Matt, though. 

The sadness I felt earlier tonight has dissipated, but it’s not completely gone. My head is making a thousand thoughts and my insecurities have taken hold of me. I feel so unworthy of Matt’s care for me, when I did nothing for the past months but hurt him. 

He starts the engine and we’re on the road again. My eyes trail outside the window seat, mesmerized by the city lights. 

“You can tell me how you’re feeling, you know” Matt’s voice breaks my reverie, and I sigh.

“I just…” I start, eyes still not looking at him.“I don’t understand what I did wrong. I did everything he told me to do! For fuck’s sake, I stopped seeing you because he felt jealous. I guess I’m just trying to get some kind of closure, you know?” I’m rambling right now, but I don’t care. Matt never judged me before, and I need this, I need to tell someone what’s going on in my head, otherwise it will be a never ending circle of self pity.

He hums, listening intently to my words. I vomit all the insecurities that crept up upon me that evening, and without even realizing we arrive at my place.

Matt turns off the car, he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the vehicle. Confused, I follow his lead, coming out of the car almost the exact time he reaches me. I look up at him, expecting some kind of encouraging words towards me or even a little lecture. 

Instead, all I see is such adoration and love in his eyes that I almost have to look away, but before I do that, his arms encircle my shoulders and he pulls me against him, his warm chest a welcome caress against my cheek. I freeze, so unaccustomed to the sudden physical affection. But my body knows this feeling quite well, and it acts on its own. I hug him back, my arms encircling his waist and my head resting against his chest, listening to his fast heartbeat.

His voice, muffled against my hair, trembles with a frantic plea. "Never again," he whispers. "Promise me, don't vanish like that. And don't believe that nonsense. You're not unworthy of love. You just happen to have chosen the wrong person to take it from." I can't muster the strength to argue with him; I simply shake my head, too weary to contradict his words. 

Matt moves his head away from my shoulder, his arms still around me. 

“I wish you’d see yourself the way I see you. Maybe you’d understand, then” I frown at him.

“How do you see me?” I’m not sure where the courage to ask that question comes from, but I have a feeling in my stomach that his answer might change everything for me. For us.

He smiles at me, his teeth showing. “Now it’s not the time or place to tell you. If you still want to know, ask me in a month or something” he steps back and goes to the driver seat, getting in the car without looking at me, while my head spins. What is that supposed to mean? My curiosity is killing me, I want to know what he means so badly, but I know him: if he’s made his mind up, he won’t tell me until he feels like the right time has come. 

I shake my head, the shadow of a smile on my face, and I turn, going towards my house. I hear the car’s engine starting again, and it’s only after I close the door behind me that Matt departs. 

Fine then, I’ll wait for him to tell me. Something to look forward to, maybe.

Part 2 will be published soon!