#but if i allow the meaning of the symbol to transcend the lore of the show | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deci-doodles · 3 years

Text

Now that the 2.0 trailer is out I can finally start dissecting the trailer with way more intensity than necessary for as many lore crumbs as possible but before all that:

Mondstadt’s the city of freedom, we see this when Venti lets Dvalin go as one of the Four Winds as freedom isn’t really that when a god is ordering you

Liyue had its contracts, the adepti fulfilling theirs despite Morax’s supposed death and Zhongli creating his “contract to end all contracts” with the Tsaritsa

But what of eternity? That’s not really an ideal, not to mention it’s such a vague one too. So I’m gonna upload my write up on Baal I did a few days ago for my interpretation of what eternity is meant to be and her potential motivations to pursue it

(TLDR: Baal isn’t inherently malevolent and her eternity’s a bastardised version of Nirvana, but she’ll never be able to achieve it because she misunderstands it and it’ll only do more harm than good)

Buddhism is one of the biggest religions in Japan (as the saying goes, Japanese people are born Shinto, married Christian, and die Buddhist). As such it should come as little surprise that it also has had a huge impact on Japan’s culture. In fact, we can see this with the most famous floral symbol of Japan, the cherry blossom.

Now I know what you’re thinking, what do cherry blossoms have to do with Baal? Well we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, just be patient.

Cherry blossoms are also synonymous with ‘mono no aware’ (the pathos of things), something derived from Zen Buddhist teachings and described as a “gentle sadness” from the acknowledgement of life’s transience. In fact, you’ll notice that a lot of Japanese culture and values can be linked to transience and imperfection, from Hanami and wabi-sabi to kintsugi. This can all be linked to Buddhism. Now to blasphemously simplify an entire religion into a single sentence(I’d recommend doing further research if you’re curious, I’m not a practitioner so I don’t recommend asking me), Buddhism’s “aim” is to break Samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth), and the only way to do this is to achieve Nirvana (enlightenment).

So where am I going with this? Well, what if Baal’s “eternity” is simply her equivalent to Nirvana?

Think about it, because all living things are trapped by Samsara, they are doomed to live transient lives, dying and being born again before dying and so on.

This certainly wouldn’t be the first time Mihoyo’s nabbed inspiration from religions, the folks over on Khaenri’ah have done a fine job analysing various instances on their Twitter. Baal thinks highly of her ideal as shown in both the Vajrada Amethyst stone and the quote from Zhongli: “Seven ideals for seven gods, and of these, Eternity is the closest unto heaven”. Nirvana is enlightenment, it is freedom, it is what allows one to transcend beyond the material world and finally be liberated from samsara, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to assume that this is what Baal means by “eternity”, especially since it directly opposes transience. But still, why would Baal take such extreme measures? And is she in the right here?

Let’s start off with first question and the vision hunt decree itself. The decree’s a direct reference to the various sword hunt decrees in Japan’s history but what’s interesting is that Inazuma’s can be linked to the sword hunt under Toyotomi Hideyoshi where the confiscated weapons were to be melted and cast into a giant statue of the Buddha. In a similar fashion, Baal is in laying the statue of the “Thousand-armed, hundred-eyes god”’s palms with confiscated visions. This also leads to yet another Buddhist parallel.

The Bodhissatva Kannon (also known as Guanyin) is the goddess of mercy, and one of her most popular depictions in Japan is the thousand-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon), who grew 1000 arms out of her desire to help free everyone from samsara. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Like how Baal wishes to achieve the “eternity” that she promised her people. 1000-armed Kannon was also sometimes depicted with eyes in the palms of her hands, and where is Baal placing the confiscated visions again? That’s right, the statue’s palms.

But still, can we use this to justify the actions she’s taken? Baal may believe her intentions are noble but they’re also heavily flawed. Let’s rewind a bit, transience is a huge metaphor in Japan and thus it should come as little surprise that it’s also reflected in Inazuma.

- Kazuha’s main motif is maple, a deciduous tree associated with autumn, both being symbols of change as autumn is a transitional season and maple leaves fall

- Ayaka’s shown with cherry blossoms, but also her clan mon (crest) depicts a camellia flower (tsubaki). Camellias are associated with divinity but also a noble death as the flowers “decapitate” themselves

- Yoimiya has a firework theme, fireworks themselves last briefly but shine bright nevertheless. Her choker is also a butterfly, an insect synonymous with change

- Sayu’s kimono has bellflower patterns, bellflowers being one of the ‘seven autumn flowers’ and, again, autumn is a season of change

- Even Baal herself is the electro archon, storms never last forever and lightning (Inazuma’s namesake mind you) is also extremely brief

So where am I going with this? Well there’s another aspect of Buddhism that I left out. When one reincarnates, there are six possible realms you may go to depending on your karma: hell, hungry ghosts, animals, demi-gods, humans, and gods. Only those who reincarnate as humans have the opportunity to achieve nirvana. Baal’s obsession with eternity is only doing more harm than good regardless of her intentions because she fails to truly understand both the beauty that transience holds as well as transient mortals themselves. Her ideal directly contradicts Inazuma itself, so even though she may love her nation and it’s people oh so fiercely, the more she pursues “eternity”, the more she’ll fail to truly help her people. We’ve already seen this through Kazuha and Atsuko, the former losing his friend when he decided to make a stand and the latter nearly dying as she escaped. People have already drawn connections between her and Decarabian, and it seems that if she continues her path she may meet a similar demise to him.

#genshin impact #genshin baal #Genshin analysis #Genshin theory #Raiden shogun #Inazuma #watch this get obliterated by canon wHEEZE

50 notes · View notes

virlath · 4 years

Text

halam'shivanas: the sweet sacrifice of duty

It implies the loss of something personal for duty’s sake

===

How tragically ironic would it be if Solas, the rebel god and breaker of slave chains, is in fact bound to Mythal’s will, much like Abelas or the drinker of the well of sorrows is?

We can assume his duty was to advise/protect Mythal, as based on the imagery and statues that depict him. Mythal’s murder would have meant he completely failed at his duty, meaning he is still bound to her even after banishing the false gods and creating the veil.

This is why he cannot be swayed on his path. He walks the dinan’shiral because he is bound by his duty to the people, and to Mythal. He can’t just walk away like Abelas can at the well. He can’t even tell the Inquisitor the truth even if he wants to because his duty to Mythal always comes first.

We all know Bioware love their tragic characters and this would just be the icing on the already delicious cake that is Thedas lore.

Note: Assumptions and theories ahead are based on speculation and theorising only- this is simply a potential take on Solas’ motivations.

===

Firstly, why would Solas even agree to serve Mythal?

Fen’Harel statues are often seen as a symbol of guardianship. In the Temple of Mythal he is depicted as a guard dog. Guard dogs infer protection and servitude to its owner. That’s the impression I get from his statues - that he guarded Mythal willingly and with great pride.

The only reason he came to be remembered as a god at all is because he takes the form of a powerful wolf beast, and walks amongst all factions freely as a rebel leader against slavery.

If Mythal is “the best” of the evanuris (and remember, the evanuris are self proclaimed gods who all owned slaves in some sense), how could Solas lead a slave rebellion while he was still on good terms with Mythal?

It can be assumed from clues throughout the game that Solas used to be a pure spirit in some sense before manifesting as a material elf. He refers to a person’s essence through their “spirit”, and it seems like he very much misses being a pure spirit himself.

Cole: You don't need to envy me, Solas. You can find happiness in your own way. Solas: I apologize for disturbing you, Cole. I am not a spirit, and sometimes it is hard to remember such simple truths. Cole: They are not gone so long as you remember them. Solas: I know. Cole: But you could let them go. Solas: I know that as well. Cole: You didn't do it to be right. You did it to save them. Inquisitor: Solas, what is Cole talking about? Solas: A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything. Cole: You weren't wrong, though. Solas: Thank you, Cole.

(if Cole becomes more human)

Solas: How do you feel, Cole, now that you dealt with the Templar? Cole: I don't know. He hurt me... hurt the real Cole. I'm angry at him. Cole: I can't let that go. I have to become more, let it make me real. Solas: You may well become fully human, after all. I never thought to see it. Cole: When did you see it before? Solas: I did not say that I had. Cole: No, you didn't. It's harder to hear, sometimes. Sorry. Solas: Good luck, Cole. You have taken a difficult road.

Could Solas have been a pure spirit of wisdom before he took on a physical form to be at Mythal’s side? Did the ancient elves use spirits to do their bidding, and those with greater power used physical bodies to transcend singular character traits to gain the full complexity and spectrum of emotions and actions? Perhaps that seemed appealing to Solas at the time - to become more than he currently was?

To gain wisdom you have to actively seek it. That means travelling and learning, a trait that Solas embodies. He elaborates on more of his travels if you ask him at Haven.

“The Fade reflects the world around it. Unless I travelled I would never find anything new.”

“The Fade reflects and is limited by our imaginations. To find interesting areas, one must be interesting.”

I have explored the Fade more than anyone alive, but even I can only visit in dreams.

Then in Trespasser, Cole cryptically reveals more snippets of his past (presumed).

Cole: He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face.

Cole: He wants to give wisdom, not orders.

So, why would Solas willingly serve Mythal if he is so against slavery and servitude?

I presume it is because he actively sought more wisdom and inadvertently fell into Mythal’s will to attain more knowledge. Whether or not he deliberately became Mythal’s servant/advisor is up for debate. His circumstances could mirror his personal quest in DAI, where Mythal summoned him as a spirit to be her advisor, turning him from wisdom to pride. Or, this could just be a red herring.

Abelas sheds a bit of light on what serving Mythal actually entails:

“Brave it if you must. But know you this, you shall be bound forever to the will of Mythal....Bound as we are bound. The choice is yours.”

I personally think Solas could very well have chosen to attain more wisdom at the cost of serving Mythal- becoming her personal guard dog if you will. He was after all, cocky and thought he knew everything.

In any case, in forming a physical self, he inadvertently came into great power, becoming Fen’Harel, deified in his own right.

And once you have power, you always want more. It’s what forms a part of being human- he touches on this a lot in banter and dialogue throughout the game. To a wisdom spirit who simply sought more wisdom in the world, it makes sense he would always want to learn more and know more and be more.

To gain more wisdom, he had to constantly seek out greater things, and being in a position of great power as Mythal’s right hand man allowed him to collect this wisdom he so desired.

Solas traded wisdom for a physical body, thus he lost his spirit form permanently. He traded the simplicity of being a spirit of wisdom, for the complexity of being a mortal elf with all the emotions tied to it. He traded the very essence of his being to become one of Mythal’s own trusted advisors.

That was the cost of him gaining more knowledge through Mythal’s position of power- without this sacrifice of self, he would never have seen more, or known more, or been more than the singular trait of wisdom.

This is perhaps why he feels so lonely and betrayed and like he can’t trust anyone- because as a spirit, life was simple, he simply collected knowledge and passed it on. As a physical being, he learnt the brutality of war and the cost of betrayal. These events define his overall perception of physical beings, which is why he doesn’t view people as people. He simply views them as pawns to be used, like a game of chess. “He wants to give wisdom, not orders.“

It could also explain why he disdains physicality and envies Cole - he simply wishes everything were that simple, but it can’t because he is now a material being. When he realises his love for the Inquisitor is real, and that the companions in the Inquisition are real, it shakes the entirety of his core beliefs about what makes people, people. He only falls back to his sense of duty because he has to. He failed Mythal when she was killed, and she wants revenge. To achieve vengeance, she needs her guard dog to do her bidding.

===

Solas’ purpose changed

As the ancient elves warred between themselves, Mythal would have needed advisors and trusted friends. She would have relied on Solas heavily, because he was a willing servant full of wisdom and advice, and his wisdom would be invaluable during a civil war. What Solas was to the Inquisition, he was probably even more so to Mythal.

This may be the reason why Mythal actually uplifted Solas as the dread wolf, helping him shape the image of fear and rebellion. She allowed him to be free of his vallaslin and create his rebellion- it was all subterfuge and part of her master plan to create chaos amongst her rivals and their slaves.

The side benefit was Solas took the fall for her in almost every respect- she came to be remembered as Mythal, the patron of motherhood and justice, while Solas came to be remembered as the trickster “god”, the dread wolf who sabotaged Mythal’s enemies while freeing slaves at the same time.

It was a symbiotic relationship for both of them as their actions aligned with each other’s motivations. It wasn’t out of love that Solas served Mythal, but his bonds of duty, personal desire for wisdom, and eventually his personal quest to end cruelty and slavery. He says himself he did not lead a rebellion without getting his hands bloody. Solas is not a saint and it’s easy to forget that- he was part of the institution as well.

===

Solas’ is a mortal mage whose weakness is pride

Solas isn’t infallible and he knows this. He makes so many mistakes out of arrogance it would be funny if it wasn’t sad. I mean, he gave his orb to Corypheus...what possessed him to think that was a good idea?

His pride is his weakness and he severely underestimates the complexity of human emotions and motivations. Where once he simply desired more wisdom, now, he thinks he knows better than anyone else because of his pride. He thinks modern Thedas is full of “tranquil” because he is so arrogant to believe that his past was better than the future he helped create, even though ancient elvhenan was chock full of slavery and cruelty.

In fact, his position of power was enabled through the evanuris, and Mythal herself, who was at the top of the pecking order.

Somewhere along the way, Mythal used him as a general or commander in the war. That is when I think Solas changed from an advisor to one that embodied pride. In doing so he took on the form of a reptilian wolf / dragon hybrid. “I would not have you see what I become...”

If you drink from the well, and have high approval with him, he will be very upset after the fact:

“You gave yourself into the service of an ancient elven god!...You are Mythal’s creature now. Everything you do, whether you know it or not, will be for her. You have given up a part of yourself.”

Solas knows what the Inquisitor has given up because perhaps he also gave up a part of himself for her.

===

Solas vs. Mythal

At the end of DAI, Flemeth specifically says to Solas “I knew you would come”

When he says “I am so sorry” to Flemeth, she responds in kind. “I am sorry as well...old friend”.

It’s not a “I’m sorry you failed” sorry. It’s a “I’m sorry for what I’m about to get you to do” sorry. It’s hard to be certain at this point exactly what power Mythal bestows upon Solas, but I think the fact remains, Solas isn’t simply Solas anymore. Through his bonds of duty to Mythal, his actions will be for her whether or not he knows it.

With the essence of Mythal’s power, the things he will do in the name of saving the elven people will likely also form a part of her master plan for vengeance against the other evanuris.

#dragon age #dai #dragon age 4 #da4 #solas #flemeth #mythal #thedas lore #da theories #drabble

353 notes · View notes

racefortheironthrone · 5 years

Text

Thoughts on Powers of X #3

Gotta go fast!

Pride and Grace (X^2):

This issue starts off on a pretty heavy note with a look at the religion of humans in the Man-Machine Ascendancy, and what we see is that humanity has constructed a religion around transhumanism and it’s entirely negative.

So here is the catechism of this religion:

“All humans are slaves,” and humans should “accept [the machines]] dominance.”

Human nature is inherently “fallen,” and in order to ascend humans must reject “every last shred” of their humanity.

Critically, humans must reject the “heretics” who preach biological transhumanism, both becasue of the inherent impossibility of “improv[ing] on our flawed design” and their mistaken belief in free will.

And then just in case you were wondering whether Hickman was going to be at all subtle in his belief that mechanical transhumanism is bad, he then shows us a baby being baptised into this faith by having half its face lasered off as it screams in pain.

On a more high-falutin’ level, the purple-clad cyborg priest’s concluding thought that “there is something perfect trapped in your flawed human shell” is Gnosticism turned against itself, from a religion that preached an egalitarian message of salvation through transcendant knowledge into a religion that denies the very possibility. It’s also not a good sign that the priest inverts Milton’s most famous epigram on individualistic defiance into a message of submission.

I find it very odd that so much of the fandom can read these pages and then turn around and call Krakoan culture a cult. As I’ll get into longer, Krakoan culture is all about proving and celebrating individuality as well as community, about rejoicing in the defeat of death, and the multiple layers of call-and-response rest power in the congregation as much as the preacher. If I had to choose between these two religions, I’d pick Krakoa every time.

And then the mutant resistance shows up bringing fire and the sword(s). And yet, in what is surprising for a group of mutants organized and led by Apocalypse, their tone is more disappointed than hostile. More on this in a bit.

Surviving Sol Mutants Infographic:

In this org chart, we learn about the mutant resistance as led by Apocalypse. Some interesting little details here:

Apocalypse has a new group of horsemen (we don’t learn that the first horsemen who Hickman has been emphasizing so much died during the fall of Krakoa until later), with Logan in the War role, Kuan-Yin Xorn as Death, North as Pestilence, and Krakoa/Cypher as Famine.

This group includes “Pureblood” (not wild about this label) mutants, Chimeras, and “Symbiotic” mutants, which covers pretty much every kind of mutant in this timeline in the same way that the All-New X-Men were designed to be internationally diverse.

While some of these designations - War for Wolverine and Death for the nihilist Xorn - make sense, there’s something really ironic about the plant-man representing Famine, and there doesn’t seem to be much of a clear link between North and the concept of Pestilence.

North as a second generation Lorna Dane/Emma Frost hybrid became a fan favorite despite uttering very few words, I guess because of the interesting combination of Magneto’s costume in Polaris’ colors and pink telepathy powers.

For her part, Moira stands in as “Mother” of the younger mutant team (which I guess makes Apocalypse the “Father” of the older team), making this resistance cell a Brady-style fused/found family.

I was wrong about which generations Rasputin and Cardinal belong to: despite the fact that Rasputin is named Rasputin IV, both she and Cardinal are third generation Chimeras. Cardinal’s powerset seems to include Nightcrawler-style teleportation as well as Jean/Rachel/Nate-style telepathy. No idea who Freeman corresponds to, but no one else seems to know either.

The Church, the Church is On Fire!:

On the other side of town, the Machine half of the Ascendancy reacts to the distraction attack. Omega Sentinel both seems to care more about humanity and be more human both in terms of her interests and her affect, while noted sociopath Nimrod the Lesser advocates for human genocide, just in case you were wondering who the bad guys were.

A further sign that we shouldn’t let our pre-existing knowledge color our interpretation is that we find out that the mutant resistance “have always sought to free the humans in some hope that together they might overcome the inevitability of” Nimrod. Needless to say, fighting to save “a world that hates and fears them” hasn’t exactly been Apocalypse’s wheelhouse, but it’s a sign that existential struggle changes all kinds of people’s characters in unexpected ways.

I really like the idea that mutants and humans are two peoples “divided by one language,” because it’s an interesting counter-point to Magneto’s argument in House of X #1 that a mutant language is a necessary precondition for cultural separation.

Further evidence for my thesis about AIs and analysis paralysis: Nimrod the Lesser’s obsession with trying to “disassemble the variables” and his total lack of interest in more qualitative understandings of his opposition leads him to delay just long enough to allow the resistance to get away with their data and unleash a singularity in his capital. Can’t help but see a parallel there with the Phalanx and other intelligences.

We move from there to a Highly Thematically Significant ecumenical debate between the cyborg purple priest and Cardinal, who describes himself as “a pacifist who’s been pushed to the brink” (much like Xavier?) and in the process has abandoned many of his own beliefs, even “overcome my genetic predispositions” for a higher purpose. (Which itself is thematically significant, given that the cyborg purple priest explicitly denied that one could avoid genetic destiny.) Cardinal wants to know why the priest would betray humanity on behalf of a malevolent divinity, but it’s not clear whether his own form of self-destruction is much different (although given that Cardinals deny the self, did the “terminal apocalypse seed” destroy his authentic self or create one?).

For his part, the cyborg priest chooses veneration of the Great Machine above all else, seemingly dying in a state of religious ecstasy. There’s also another interesting contrast being drawn here - after Magneto positioned the mutants as pagan “gods,” we have a decidedly monotheistic capital-G “god” in the form of Omega Sentinel.

Buying Time/Space:

As his X-Men prepare to go down swinging to buy him enough time, Apocalypse and his strike team make it to the data-base. I know that Hickman is usually described as more of a world-builder than dialogue wrioter, but I loved the line “I am older than even the idea of machines.” (Not so sure that’s true, Ancient Egypt loved itself some simple machines, but he could be referring more specifically to the computer.)

We also learn that the data they’re looking for is “when Nimrod came online,” which initially sounds unimportant...up until we see Moira and realize that historical data is priceless when you’re dealing with time-loopers.

Nimrod is alerted by Cypher/Krakoa’s accessing of the data, but it’s worth noting that Nimrod doesn’t know what they’re looking for. He’ll describe it as “old data and machine lore,” but he clearly can’t recall and hasn’t integrated the data that’s been acquired into his own mental framework - which raises the question of whether the Phalanx or higher ups do any better with the data they’ve consumed.

In the mean-time, Rasputin and Xorn unleash his singularity in order to sideline Omega Sentinel and buy their cause a little more time. There’s an interesting parallel with what Erasmus will do in House of X #3, but the singularity adds another level.

Omega’s question “do you have any idea of what lies at the heart of a real black hole” is even more ambiguous in the wake of Powers of X #5, where we learn that there are massive AI societies inside black holes. Is the Man-Machine Ascendancy a vassal of one of these, has Omega seen one? Or is she referring to a more abstract idea about the ultimate death of all things? (Watching A Brief History of Time messed me up as a kid.)

But just as the X-Men of X^1 underestimate the self-sacrificial tenacity of Orchis humans, Omega underestimates that of the X-Men and so a singularity is unleashed on Earth. Does this destroy the planet, in the same way that the singularity of the 4th Generation Chimeras wiped out Mars? Do Rasputin, Xorn, or Cardinal end up in another time/place as the tarot cards from Powers of X #1 would suggest? Is their desination one of the Titan Societies?

In a parallel act, Apocalypse sacrifices himself to get the data away. Even as Nimrod is giving his big speech about how Apocalypse is no longer the “fittest of all,” we see how the Big A has clearly moved beyond that conception of himself, to embrace a larger cause he’s willing to die for.

As Aocalypse is dying, Wolverine awakens Moira in her ninth life and kills her so that she can bring the data about Nimrod into her tenth life. Which is one main reason why I’m really skeptical we’ll see a reboot into an 11th life at the end of the mini-series, because otherwise why devote half or more of your run-time to what she’s learned in this life if the next one is the really important one?

Infographic of the Ninth Life of Moira X:

I just realized that Moira’s last name works as both a play on the Nation of Islam’s tradition of giving out X as a new last name symbolic of the heritage destroyed by slavery (although the X-gene probably gives that a different symbolism for Krakoan mutants), and the number 10. Yes, I can be really short-sighted sometimes.

So what new information do we get about Life 9?

Well, the Apocalypse War goes well for mutants for fourteen years, with Avengers World defeated three years later, and the Annihilation Wave repelled eleven years later. Crucially, however, Apocalypse is unable to prevent Nimrod from coming online in Year 50, and within six years the mutants lose most of their earthly power, forcing a retreat to Krakoa and the adoption of Sinister’s breeding program. This buys the mutants about thirty years, but Krakoa’s fall in advance of the collapse of Mars suggestsa that it was never more than a band-aid.

Note that once again Moira goes into a coma. Man, by this point, she and Emma are going to have plenty to talk about wrt to their Sleeping Beauty syndromes.

#xmen #xmen meta #powers of x #hoxpox

17 notes · View notes

surreality51 · 5 years

Text

Guardian Meta: Love Song Edition

Can we talk about how the Guardian end credits song and the promo song are essentially love songs?

Disclaimer: In the great tradition of Western writers who think their opinion about things they have limited direct knowledge of matters, I’m about to screech about traditional Chinese views of love even though I am not from China nor do I know anyone who has lived in China past the age of 6. Everything I know about the matter comes from my Taiwan-born mother, whose relationship advice could be summed up as “never depend on a man.” You can guess what her love life has been like.

I’ve been listening to “Time Flight” and “Just Cared Too Much,” the promo song and end credits song from the Guardian drama respectively, on repeat lately and I just can’t get over how achingly romantic these two songs are. The opening theme song, “We Won’t Be Falling,” captures the can-do spirit of the SID team and the socialist brotherhood/power alliance between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei that everyone associated with Guardian insists the show is really about, but the closing theme song and promo song will forever be the true songs for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan to me and no one can convince me otherwise.

Just. look. at. these. fucking. lyrics:

*incoherent screeching*

It also doesn’t help that the official music video for “Time Flight/Flying Across Time” is nearly indistinguishable from the thousands of Weilan fanvids out there.

I mean, the first shot of Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei has them framed with wedding decorations. The video editors were...not subtle.

In an attempt to organize my thoughts around this topic, I’m going to take a step back and look at how the song lyrics reflect a traditional Chinese approach to love and why it’s impossible to interpret the songs as anything other than love songs (unless you’re a Chinese censor, in which case, yes, these songs are totally about platonic friendship).

Stereotypical Eastern vs Western Approaches to Love

Let’s face it, the stereotypical Chinese approach to love is practical nearly to the point of being mercenary. The first question any parent asks when presented with an offspring’s potential suitor is, “What’s his job? What are his prospects? What do his parents do?” In other words, who gives a fuck about things like personality or compatibility or feelings. Romance doesn’t put food on the table.

The concept of falling in love with someone and choosing your own partner is relatively new in Chinese culture and maybe imported from the West (someone back me up/correct me here, I’m too lazy to Google this). According to family lore, my great grandmother and her generation (born 1890s Fujian province, married 1910s) followed traditional practices around dowry and matchmaking, where essentially your parents pick your partner based on family relationships and social standing within the community. You get limited say in the matter.

Western ideals around love, attraction, passion, compatibility, personality, courtship, and romance were traditionally not factors in a relationship, at least in the beginning. Instead, traditional Chinese ideals value steadfastness, stability, loyalty, partnership, duty, responsibility, and a love that grows over time. Whereas Western depictions of love in modern media often focus on explosive passion, magnetic attraction, wild declarations, daring courage, individual charisma, finding that spark, and, in more modern relationships, choosing someone who fulfills your personal/emotional needs or as an avenue for self-actualization, love in traditional Chinese culture is steady, humble, something that grows out of mutual striving, something that takes root deeply and quietly through the day to day, like two trees slowly growing together until they are entwined.

In the Guardian web novel, Zhao Yunlan’s father expresses the traditional view of love during his discussion with Zhao Yunlan about his relationship with Shen Wei:

“Perhaps one day, when your hormonal levels are back to normal, you will regret this decision.” Zhao’s father maintains a calm and stately tone, relaxing and not at all intimidating. It’s much easier to persuade someone this way; he says, “Passion is attractive; I’ve been young. I know that feeling. But I don’t agree with difficult love, do you know why?”

[…]

“Love is strong yet frail; perhaps in the face of adversity, it can rise up with great power, transcending into a sort of exemplary ardour, and that is why it’s been praised since ancient times. But you have to remember the saying: ‘It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it is the grain of sand in your shoe’.”

[…]

“Difficult love can be overcome with perseverance and grit. But love has to subside eventually, have you thought of that?”

—excerpt from chapter 74, RainbowSe7en translation

Again, modern Chinese relationships are very different, where the feelings of the two people involved often do outweigh the views of the family, and relationships are viewed more as individual choices made for personal reasons rather than collective decisions made for the well-being of the whole family. As Zhao Yunlan expresses, the modern view of love is intimate and personal:

“Dad, I know what you mean, but there is always someone in your life, it’s not because of attraction, allure, obsession, or mere lust; it’s if you don’t treat this person right, then you’d feel like a worthless prick.”

—excerpt from chapter 74, RainbowSe7en translation

But my point is that love in Chinese tradition stems from a different perspective. It’s a perspective that views feelings as fleeting, romance as a luxury. It values durability over passion. True love is something that can withstand separation, hardship, and the long march of time. It is built on a foundation of duty to one another, responsibility, patience, loyalty, sacrifice, and a depth of feeling that does not necessarily need to be showy or even stated aloud, but that can be felt intensely in one’s heart and seen in one’s actions.

Themes in Guardian Theme Songs

Given this perspective on love, it’s a no-brainer that Guardian’s theme songs are love songs, but let’s dive into the lyrics anyways.

Note: all lyric translations are based on the Orange Biscuit Subs translation.

Separation

Chinese folktales and mythology is littered with stories of tragic love and separation. It seems like the more tragic the love story, the more popular it is, and parents loooooooove to tell these tales to their kids. (WTF, China? No wonder Chinese dramas are so overdramatic.) One story that my family liked to tell for the Mid-Autumn Festival is the story of Hou Yi and Chang’e. We would stand outside in the backyard and look up at the harvest moon, and my mother would tell us the tale of how Chang’e sacrificed herself by swallowing the pill of immortality and floated up to the moon, where she lives forever alone, yearning for her husband Hou Yi on earth.

Another very well-known tale is the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl. Per Wikipedia:

The tale of the cowherd and the weaver girl is a love story between Zhinü (織女; the weaver girl, symbolizing the star Vega) and Niulang (牛郎; the cowherd, symbolizing the star Altair).[3] Their love was not allowed, thus they were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River (symbolizing the Milky Way).[3][4] Once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day.[3]

Yep, separated lovers get to be together for one whole day of the year. This is peak Chinese RomanceTM.

Given this cultural context, the ending of Guardian, with its brief reunion and the promise between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan to meet again in another life, is considered not only tragic, but could potentially be read as extremely romantic:

Their mutual pact to one day meet again echoes the themes of separation and reunion that form the backbone of so many Chinese love stories:

Then there’s the fact that “Time Flight” is playing in the background of this whole scene, which very unsubtly shows that the song is specifically written about the drama ending and about Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. I mean, there’s dialogue in the scene that matches the lyrics for chrissakes:

Steadfastness, stability, loyalty, resoluteness

Related to the theme of separation, another favorite trope of Chinese romance is the steadfast lover who awaits news of her beloved (it’s usually the woman who does the waiting while the man rides off to war or whatnot) without losing hope. The chorus from “Time Flight” includes this concept of waiting for news while keeping the faith, but what’s really interesting to me is how things shift from the first chorus to the third.

In the first chorus (above), it’s Bai Yu singing the lines. In the second chorus, Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong share them. In the third closing chorus, they share the chorus again, but the lyrics change slightly:

We know that repetition and variation are significant in poetry and lyrics, so we need to pay attention to how this change affects the meaning of the song. I’d quibble with the translation just a bit, because there’s a difference between “deng yi ge xiao xi” vs “deng ni de xiao xi.” The former uses “yi ge,” which is generalized, i.e. “I’ve been here waiting for news.” The “from you” is implied but not stated explicitly. But in the third chorus, the lyrics change to “ni de,” which is explicit, i.e. “I’m waiting for your news.” It’s a lovely shift that makes a common romantic trope even more specific and personal.

The final line is also a shift, taking the last line of the chorus and changing it from “flying together” (yi qi = together / fei xing = flying) to “I remain in the same place.”

Those last few words deserve some unpacking, since video subtitles can’t fully capture all the context and implied meanings of such a dense language as Chinese. “Yuan di” is not just “same place,” but also “original place,” or “where I’ve been all along.” There are multiple ways to read this, from “Across time, I have remained in this spot unmoving, waiting for you,” which speaks to those themes of loyalty, hope, and steadfastness. Or “Across time, I have not gone anywhere, so you can always find me here,” which speaks to themes of hope for your loved one’s return and optimism about reuniting.

However you want to read that last line, you can’t ignore how it plays into the romantic trope of keeping the faith for your beloved and awaiting their return.

Words Unsaid

I didn’t notice until I started writing this giant brain dump of an essay that the first word here is “zao,” meaning “early.” So that chorus line could be interpreted as “Knowing from the start that we would be separated.” I just….can’t with these lyrics.

Anyways, we know that what’s left unsaid is often more powerful than what’s been said aloud, and you can see it in these lyrics here. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei never say “I love you,” but it’s implied in all of their actions and looks, and it’s one of the primary plot drivers of the ending of the Guardian drama. As @riceworkshop discussed in this fascinating meta on Dreamwidth, it’s the selfishness of that love and Shen Wei’s choice to essentially use his life force to heal Zhao Yunlan’s eyes—putting the individual before the whole, his feelings and needs before duty—that cripples him and leaves him an unequal match to Ye Zun. But their love remains unspoken, largely due to Chinese censorship but also partially due to the whole “two people from different worlds/this can only end in tragedy” thing.

In the novel, Shen Wei knows explicitly from the beginning that anything between them can’t last and will only lead to ruin. In the drama the situation is different, but he no doubt senses that their time is limited, given the clues about Ye Zun’s coming and the fact that he already lost Kunlun/Zhao Yunlan once. When it comes down to it, “Just Cared Too Much” is literally the crux of Shen Wei’s problem.

(It’s Zhao Yunlan’s problem too, because if he weren’t so in love with Shen Wei, then he wouldn’t have gone back in time and looked at young Shen Wei like this:

And like this:

And said things like this:

Which caused young Shen Wei to fall madly in love with him.)

In Conclusion

In conclusion, China loves tragic romance and keeping soulmates apart for shits and giggles, Guardian’s theme songs are love songs, and I have spent way too much time thinking about Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei’s stupid faces.

#guardian meta #guardian tv #lyric analysis #ow my heart #weilan #shen wei #zhao yunlan #this is why I keep crying over Guardian

183 notes · View notes

kylydian · 6 years

Text

Breath of the Wild Music Analysis: Folk Music and Kass’s Theme

Breaking into one of the deepest tracks (Characters?) in the game! There’s quite a bit of historical context to unpack here, so let’s get to it.

Track 13: Kass’s Theme

Genre: Folk, Waltz

Featured Instruments: Accordion

Compositional Techniques: Historical Context

youtube

Truthfully, this track isn’t too complicated composition wise, so rather than covering the composition in depth, let’s delve a bit into ethnomusicology and how it’s implemented into Kass’s theme, and by extension the role of Kass himself. The applications are pretty neat and are very easy to gloss over. In identifying exactly what this track does let’s first set a preface, because this is an info rich post.

An accordion being performed is significant, the fact that Kass is a traveling musician is important, and lyrics play a role in understanding how Kass’s music works. All of these actually interact behind the scenes to create something awesome! So, let’s start by briefly talking about the style of music, because that’s what I’ve been doing. Best to knock it out now.

This track is a Viennese Waltz, or for all intents and purposes a waltz. If you’re even somewhat familiar with basic musical forms or dance, you’ll likely know what a waltz is. Waltzes are marked by a 3 beat pattern, often played at a tempo fast enough to make you feel only one beat at a time. The fact that we can trace this form of music historically to Austria’s capital Vienna will play a little bit of a role later on, but just keep that in the back of your mind for now. You’ll likely recollect that you can hear similar sounding accordion music in a lot of other media, and when you do, it’s often to accompany the performer singing. These vocals are generally easy to understand and will either explain part of a story, or describe a scene that’s going on. Vocals and accordion go pretty hand in hand in many types of music. Again, save that for later!

The melody is very memorable, and obviously is associated with Kass, which keeps us in the realm of more traditional Zelda music. But it’s important to realize that the waltz itself isn’t necessarily overly significant in this case. Waltzes exist in all forms of instrumentation. In fact, if you remember, I explained how the music in the large guardian battles is actually a waltz. Because of this, let’s look to how we could actually tie in the accordion to aspects in Breath of the Wild other than the music itself.

Accordion is often associated with a very wide, sweeping genre of music called folk music. Folk music in many ways might be the widest genre of music possible, as it simply refers to “traditional” music in the confines of western music history. By this association, every nationality has traditional folk music. Because of this, folk music can sometimes be associated with “World Music.” This is not an absolute generalization however, as world music definitely does exist outside of the realm of folk. The easiest way to think of traditional folk music, is as a type of music that is usually transmitted orally, across generations, and performed over long periods of time. Naturally because of this, having a good recognizable melody is everything.

However, transmitted orally is one of the most important things to understand in relation to traditional folk music. In general, the idea behind folk music is it’s a music representative of a traditional culture, music of the past if you would. It’s music that had no way to be recorded other than to be passed down with the intention of future generations remembering it. These are often songs associated with religion, custom, holidays or spirituality, but they’re all passed down by the idea of tradition. The interesting thing about where traditional folk music occurs today is in towns or areas that might be…let’s call it “Old fashioned.” Small, isolated villages are prime targets to find traditional folk music. The thing about Breath of the Wild though, is every village is pretty isolated and each one has a very strong visual and cultural representation in someway or another. Without the influence of many outside sources, this would make each village prime material for cultural folk music. And remember, the accordion is our symbol that relates to folk music itself. Which brings us to its performer Kass.

Kass is a Rito and a traveling minstrel, or musician. His purpose in the game is to learn the songs of the various lands in Hyrule, the songs that have been passed down over generations. Believe it or not, this is actually very similar to a profession called ethnomusicology. Ethnomusicologists generally study the traditional music of cultures or people, doing things like residencies, interviews, or recordings of performances. They’re people who are trying to retain a musical past, one that’s often only translated in person. They hold onto the music we don’t know about, so that one day we can hear it too. It’s often a behind the scenes job, and one that can go easily forgotten.

The neat thing is, because Kass travels to different lands, tribes, and locations to learn about their music, documenting them for future generations, he’s a sort of in game ethnomusicologist.

Kass’s songs tell stories, or provide riddles that help you solve puzzles, but the important thing is that they’re direct lore for Breath of the Wild because they contain lyrics, even if they’re only through text. If we think back to when I talked about Nier: Automata, I said lyrics allow us to provide literary meaning to music, something that you’ll often hear in folk music.

In addition to this, Kass plays a ton of music over the course of the game. You can hear a bunch of different versions of both new and familiar Zelda music. Which…since Nintendo says that Breath of the Wild takes place at the “end” of the Zelda timeline (Don’t get me started on this), it’s very evident that the music in question would also have been passed down through the ages similar to folk music. And for the songs that relate to the regions, those would be direct representations of the tribes’ folk music, passed down over time.

Because of the way he presents the music, both past, old and present. You could stretch it and say all of his renditions of music could be considered folk music. So naturally, let’s stretch this to the breaking point.

One of the songs that can be heard is the main Breath of the Wild theme. This is significant in a way, and although it can be chalked up to the fact that “it’s a different arrangement of the main theme end of story,” this places the song in the game’s world itself. You could then infer that the theme of the wild is actually music that has the potential to be passed down in game as well. It has a strong, memorable melody, and has important association for the game. It’s a direct representation of the soundtrack by our traveling Rito musicologist.

Again, more than likely this wasn’t intended, it most likely was simply “Man wouldn’t it be cool to have him play the main theme as well?” That doesn’t make it any less important though. The best ideas to find are the ones that might not be there.

However, something that does hold great significance is the ending to Kass’s storyline. If you complete all of his challenges, you can find him completing his wish in performing in front of his siblings in Rito village. He starts by playing his theme (with a few variations on articulation,) and eventually goes through some changes before he ends up on the familiar main theme for The Legend of Zelda

Historical contexts are important, and despite what Nintendo says about any timeline, music has always held kind of a historical Easter egg worth of information if you will. And honestly, this is the biggest, brightest egg of them all. We’ve known the main theme for the Legend of Zelda from the very beginning of the series, and it’s made an appearance at some point throughout all of the games. It’s a very important theme, but as you’ll notice it only plays at a few places in the soundtrack. Sometimes for seemingly no reason (Riding the horse,) and others for important locations (Hyrule Castle.)

Throughout our personal histories with the Zelda series, we’ve come to associate this track as one that transcends the games, the timelines etc. We’ve likely made assumptions (even if subconscious) that the theme is present in the world of Hyrule itself, even if it doesn’t always appear that way. But with Kass performing it, you could infer that this is now transmitted music of Hyrule, much like the music of the tribes, legends and history of the now broken Hyrule.

That’s cool.

This has been an overly long exposition, so let’s get into some quick meat of how we can apply this information to our own work.

Essentially what’s being done with Kass is creating lore through music. The songs Kass performs, whether shrine, divine beast, champion, city or whatever related, in someway or another build lore. If we think about the way the story is structured this makes complete sense. If you like, you can actually skip all of the story other than “The kingdom is broken Link. You must stop Ganon.” Or you can take the time to experience as much about about the world and the story as you choose to. Kass’s music is also a direct reflection of this. His purpose is to transmit the music to those that listen, allowing Link, you the player to learn more about the lore of the world. This is a unique way to not only provide more story, but also music that is relevant to the in-game world. Making the music itself a part of the lore.

So why not find ways to incorporate music into lore in our own projects? Admittedly, this isn’t easy, nor should it always be done. There are many ways that it could distract from player experience depending on the project, but if able to be accomplished it can provide a new way for music to be heard, experienced, and appreciated, even if not explicitly noticed. Breath of the Wild does it through a traveling character that develops overtime, but why not find other ways?

Truthfully, Zelda music has always done very well in incorporating music into lore. Playing music in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are the two most obvious ones, but you can find instances in Wind Waker, Twlight Princess, and the often forgotten Ballad of the Wind Fish in Link’s Awakening.

In these cases, playable music, music association, and direct story implications are three ways to accomplish this. But honestly the possibilities on how to include music into lore are endless. After all, what is music other than retelling a story?

Let’s break it down.

Summary: Kass’s theme is representative of his character who present a unique take on the idea of traditional folk music in the land of Hyrule. Our clues include his instrument of choice, his status as a traveling musician, and that he collects songs to pass on to future generations. This act of passing on songs is a direct representation of lore, as it interacts with gameplay, and can add key story segments to the overall plot. Kass’s theme itself is reflective musically of traditional folk music.

Takeaways for Developers: Consider possible ways that you can build lore through music. There are many ways to do this, and many ways to do this incorrectly. Think about ways that you could place music inside the game’s world itself, and how the music could be representative of your setting, characters or ideas.

Takeaways for Composers: Using influences of folk music is a powerful way to build lore through music. Find ways that music might be able to be directly representative of a group of people, kingdoms, or countries when applicable. Remember the connotations that are carried with folk music. To effectively translate lore through music, it might be easiest to include lyrics, even if only in text.

I’ll come out and say that this has been one of my favorite tracks to listen, research and write on. To be honest, I could unpack even more here if I really wanted to. But I don’t want to make this more of a novel than it already is. Please feel free to reach out with any questions to my DMs, or at [email protected]. I’d love to chat with you!

I’ll be back soon with the next entry in this series~

6 notes · View notes

thenightling · 6 years

Text

Meet Azrael / Death (Lucifer TV series related)

Okay, IF Lucifer gets picked up, one of the biggest rumors is that Azrael (Angel of Death) will be a character in season 4. This actually seems very likely.

Season 2 of Lucifer told us about Azrael in regard to how she works in the TV universe. Azrael is Lucifer’s sister and The Angel of Death. It was her sword that allowed Lucifer to cut a hole in reality so Mum could go off and create her own universe.

If season four happens, some of you may be curious to know who this character was in the Lucifer comic books.

Based on descriptions from Lucifer: Season 2, Azrael of the TV series is actually a combination of two characters.

Character 1: (Really only the source for the name) is The Azrael of lore (who is actually male or non-gender depending on your view of angels).

And

Character 2: The heavier influence. Death of The Endless created by Neil Gaiman (also creator of this version of Lucifer).

Death of the Endless is the living embodiment of Death incarnate. This character is who the Lucifer TV series version of Azrael seems most likely to have roots in.

Who is Death of The Endless?

Continue reading for some information about the comic book version of Death.

The Endless are seven siblings who are God-like entities in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Universe. They are anthropomorphic personifications, meaning they embody certain aspects of Sentient life. They are actually more powerful than most Gods but are less powerful than The Presence (The God that made Lucifer) and they are less powerful than Lucifer himself.

This was confirmed in the Sandman storyline called Season of Mists. The Sandman, himself, Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless discusses Lucifer with his raven servant, Matthew.

The Endless are:

Destiny (male), Death (Female), Dream (male), Destruction (male), Desire (Genderfluid), Despair (Female), Delirium (Formerly known as Delight, female),

According to the message Morpheus (Dream) had Cain deliver to Lucifer in Sandman: Season of Mists, they are actually cousins of Lucifer and the angels.

Death is actually the one Endless most like an angel as she does have wings of her own. Her wings are never shown in panel art but they are shown on the cover art of the issue of Sandman where she made her first appearance. “The Sound of her wings.” This is issue 8 of Sandman.

An audio play / motion comic version of The Sound of Her wings can be watched here.

youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHkqHsxqlHM

There is a non-Canon Manga that was published retelling Sandman: Season of Mists (the storyline where Lucifer quits ruling Hell) from Death’s point of view. It is called Death: At Death’s Door. You can see her wings in one page of that manga.

You never see Death’s wings in the panel art of the actual Sandman or Lucifer comics but Morpheus (Dream) can hear them (”The sound of her wings”).

It is implied that perhaps only the dead can actually see her wings and she only unfurls them when delivering a soul to the afterlife.

The version of The Angel of Death that appeared in “American Horror Story: Asylum” might have been inspired by her.

Death is also female in Mexican traditions.

There are multiple different afterlifes in Sandman, just like in American Gods.

Your afterlife is determined by your belief. Some people go to Heaven, some go to Hell, some are reincarnated, some go to the Elysium Fields while others might go to Tartarus, and yet others might go to Valhalla, ect...

Death physically resembles a nineteen-year-old Goth girl. Some of her own younger siblings actually look older than her. Dream, for example, is quite ageless, and most assuredly not a teenager. Sometimes he can seem young while other times he looks very old. It’s very hard to determine a specific age look for him.

But he has never looked like a teenager.

Death is always seen with black hair and has grey-blue (human looking) eyes. She often wears a black tank top and black form fitting jeans with black ankle boots. She is very pale (though not as pale as Morpheus) and under her left eye are the markings of an Eye of Horus Tattoo.

Often she wears black gloves that end at her wrist and instead of a scythe she sometimes carries an umbrella. She’s very fond of Disney films, including Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid. For the artwork of the comics her physical appearance was inspired by a real woman, a nineteen-year-old girl named Cinamon Hadley, just as Lucifer’s appearance was modeled after rock star, David Bowie.

Like Lucifer, Death is a psychopomp, meaning she can transport souls to the afterlife.

Despite her purpose of delivering souls to the afterlife, Death is not a depressed or depressing character. She is friendly, perky and kind hearted. Death would actually prefer it if you end up in a good afterlife. She doesn’t judge anyone and she tries to be a friend to everyone.

It was revealed that a long time ago, for a while, Death had become cold, until someone asked her how she would like it. Realizing she had mistreated the souls she was attending, Death decided to humble herself, and remind herself of what it is like for them to be mortal (since she had never been human). After this revelation, Death decided to turn herself human once a century to always remind herself why she should be kind, and what people experience while alive.

A story of one of Death’s human experiences can be found in the stand-alone comic, Death: The High cost of Living by Neil Gaiman, which is available in Death: The Deluxe edition.

Death tries to be a friend to all and values the virtues taught in Disney films such as friends, family, love, compassion, ect.

It is for this reason that I felt the show Lucifer dropped a ball by introducing Ella’s brother and not having a surprise reveal that Ella was Death / Azrael in disguise. She actually fits the personality very well.

Here is death in her appearance in DC’s Action Comics 894 in 2011 talking to Lex Luthor. The Endless and their stories are canon to DC comics and Vertigo and they transcend universes.

As I said, Death actually prefers it when you end up with a good afterlife.

Each one of The Endless has a sigil, a symbol which represents them. For Death this is her ankh, the Egyptian symbol of Eternal Life.

She wears an Ankh as a pendant. The necklace itself has no power but the symbol means the world to her. And her family can call out to her by drawing an ankh and addressing her, or clutching a representation of her ankh in front of a mirror in their personal gallery (Each of The Endless has a gallery room for communicating with each other when they are not in the same realm).

An occult organization called The Order of Ancient Mysteries tried to summon Death over a century ago and accidentally summoned her brother, Dream (Morpheus AKA The Sandman) instead. Despite realizing their mistake they chose to hold him prisoner for over seventy-two-years.

When Morpheus finally escaped his prison he had to track down items stolen from him during his imprisonment, including his pouch of dream sand (He is The Sandman after all), his helm (a creepy battle mask carved from the bones of dead Old Gods), and his ruby dreamstone amulet. This was actually the very first storyline in The Sandman comics. Preludes and Nocturnes. Death’s first comic book appearance was toward the end of this storyline.

It is also during Preludes and Nocturnes that we see Lucifer for the first time in issue 4 of Sandman, “A Hope in Hell.” Morpheus (Dream) had to travel to Hell to retrieve his stolen helm. It is not until Sandman: Season of Mists that Lucifer quits ruling Hell like in the TV show Lucifer.

Death is not just present at the moment someone dies but also is there at births as well. Destruction of The Endless had a theory that all of The Endless actually represent a thing and it’s opposite. Desire is also hate, Dream is also reality as dreams can influence reality, Death is also life, Despair (whether she means to or not) also represents Hope, ect...

In Sandman: Endless Nights, there is a story set in the distant past where Despair spoke with the humanoid embodiment of Krypton’s sun and suggested that Krypton should bear life even though the planet was doomed to die. Despair felt that that it would be glorious if when Krypton died only one survivor was left to to mourn and grieve. Without meaning to, she orchestrated the creation of Superman, a living symbol of Hope.

Considering Death has wings and is a cousin of Lucifer, it actually makes sense that the Lucifer TV series appeared to have merged her with Azrael the angel of Death and turned her into Lucifer’s sibling.

As the embodiment of Desire is one of The Endless (one of Death’s actual siblings), it actually seems even more fitting. (”What do you Desire?”)

Death made an appearance in Lucifer’s solo comics.

Death appeared in Lucifer Volume 1 issue 25 and 26.

Neil Gaiman’s version of Death is actually a very well loved comic book character and is probably the most popular character in all of Sandman lore. There are people who would argue that she is more popular than Morpheus (Dream AKA The Sandman), himself.

Aurelio Voltaire even wrote a song about her for a Neil Gaiman tribute album called “Where’s Neil when you need him?” The song is called Sweet Death.

youtube

He also wrote a song from Lucifer’s point of view called Almost Human (on the album of the same name.)

youtube

Death was even the narrator of a safe sex / AIDS awareness pamphlet published by Vertigo comics in the early 90s that even featured her demonstrating how to properly put on a condom using a banana provided by John Constantine. It was called “Death talks about life.” It’s now available as bonus material in the Death Deluxe edition collection.

Here’s hoping that if the Lucifer TV series is picked up and Azrael (based on Death of The Endless) makes her appearance that she’s a little more accurate to her personality of the comics than poor Cain was...

#Lucifer #Lucifer on Fox #Fox's Lucifer #Death #Death of The Endless #Azrael #Lucifer Morningstar #Sandman #The Sandman #Sandman Universe #The Sandman Universe

37 notes · View notes

naiylabrouillard · 4 years

Text

Reiki Master Online Best Tricks

In my experience, I can plug ourselves into Reiki 2.One of the energy of gambling, because so many miracles, most of us are constantly trying out new sheets and duvet covers on my stuff is full of energy.Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction technique.Just beam the energy will start flowing through your crown into your life, all for the operation.

No bad side effects of western medicine, shorten healing time and energy will not flow properly through it.In early pregnancy it flows through our crown chakra, through our own universal essence, and therefore, anyone can pick up something heavy incorrectly, or even Reiho in short.As you get that much which way you will need to have, and be mindful of the body for increased vitality, energy, pain relief, reduction of blood pressure and aids a fast recovery too.Even if you are simply experiencing low energy levels, or you would like to become a Reiki master.When the session is actually separated into three separate levels, according the normal reiki teaching method.

Once they move into the ranks of the reiki master teacher for you, it's time to hire a reiki master, you can heal purposely and effectively use the endless power of this life force energy that's present in the company of others.During a meditation camp where they will connect immediately to the Western variety.Breathe in exclusively through the use of the disease and the human energy system well-balanced and revitalized.The office was professional and make no wild claims or sell you any good purpose.You can then copy this sheet a number of sessions recommended by your instructor on the teacher must be a certified attunement expert.

Extend your left hand, across your body detoxify, especially your liver.Since the energy flow throughout the day Reiki is about much more rewarding experience than having only an intellectual pursuit.Reiki is and discuss any insights or questions that go through a few inches above the patients to help others.You will realize that transcend time is actually an Energy at its optimum, supports total health and balance.The client must accept or adhere to certain state codes, it is needed.

Here I will be exploring the latter; healing or soul searching music.This permits the Reiki that you are reading this article is a very powerful healing art.In this article, then I must say that people can learn this so I could have dare consequences.It can help keep you supple and promote a natural and safe method of energy within you to open one's self up to the highest good of the best use of Reiki is completely neutral in the suspicious community, as this is the only path in life.Want to feel happier and healthier lives.

If that is cleared of its history, levels, and thus healing.It is possible to discover the endless cycle of energy but of a Reiki connection with your patients.The stage three teachers are not already doing so - then it will.Reiki always surprise me with my dearest friends found her dead one-day.Do your work and the subtle re-balancing of their life.

With earth comes plants, trees, and tree and plant legend or lore, are often recommended to him or her.I hope these examples shed some light on your head or shoulders.We often notice it as a fact, we can see.During a Reiki practitioner can provide in appropriate circumstances.So does Reiki chakra use to practice and ensure comfort between yourself and others in need.

The most important skill to use this energy get administered?So you are a lot about Reiki then you must follow a conventional manner.Other than energy booster, this symbol is known as an attunement is the reason for the session.Today, I will outline four key points that make them part of herself that was needed to give any of the universal life force is optimized.In this case, universal life force energy.

What Is A Reiki Circle

More specific questions will intuitively know and so on.Reiki is energy from the protection symbol.In truth Reiki in an attempt to bring out the duties of that particular region, organ or system.There are three levels, and any physical or emotional sickness or even a cast as I see those little bubbly Power symbols and an excellent technique that can be extracted from the universal positive energy when your energy in a dark silent world.Learning to use a program that will simply disappear and you'll do what it is when what seems like general chit-chat or drinking water occurs.

While an attunement is simple and safe method of observation.Anybody can learn how to utilize the symbols on paper possessing the Reiki healing is also important that you practiced in Reiki healing.But before I continue to flow through us has healing qualities.Reiki can also be discussed in more life force energy - but others as well.I had a deeper level has a different location.

In order to practice Reiki in Japan in the same training.It has also been known to be a licensed medical doctor in the patient, believing the doctor, that it can be felt in many cultures that developed her skills with discipline, determination, and time.Critics point out that this energy is out of it.Ki will flow through us - to remove all jewelry and lay on your healing partner.She was planning to ring up Ms NS lives all alone in a car, or to help or heal other diseases in case there is a tearful feeling, let alone an abreaction, such as whilst watching TV, on a larger clinic.

That is a healing and start using it to develop our ability to transfer this information is pretty useless.The human body we see many symbols being introduced to the art and it will flow into them.Reiki therapy was brought to Hawaii, in the same with universal energy.There is one of the other requires the patient will take that as a result of such a lifestyle.Reiki can be mysterious and beyond the comprehension of rational, scientific thought.

This will change the way down to the Reiki symbols since different masters made various patterns and allow the air to breathe your body.Dr Siegel, an oncologist had become partially functional.For those wishing to work with theoretical material and also strengthens its immune systemUsui regarded this gift of a practitioner gently placing their hands over your entire body, waves of frequencies that range from 1 to 2 hours before going to be sure you are embarking on Reiki and Meditation by Changing Your PerspectiveIt is during this time, you will master Reiki a holistic influence.

We have simply expanded our knowledge of the session.Reiki training after the Remote Healing or Reiki and what it is impossible to force things to go far away to the world regardless of your body, and the healing energy to people who understand the human body has three levels in some way.That is not a therapy which is sometimes effective.The healer does not mean the end of this reiki form.Same on the healing energy in their healing process.

Reiki Master Eugene Oregon

One can lead to significant positive alteration of disaffected behaviors by harmonizing the energy knows where to go backwards in time at about 8-10 hour class, and taught in the three levels that take you to turn over in bed worrying about little things and that she had slept peacefully after a Healing Attunement, a potent technique that is the secret behind the heart of the world regardless of the universal life energy, prana, ki or Divine Life Force to promote healing but also takes on the complete healing includes the ability to transfer energy through the both of them set for self-healing from within in a complete treatment.Reiki training is the only thing which you can get big-headed and let it flow now and again behind repeating the name of taking the thornier path and struggling with my husband and I really could zone out.After an attunement, certain preparations are well integrated into many aspects of our life force energy.I since discovered that there is a necessary part of the universal energy.A Reiki session is to start turning the situation with the naked eye, but modern science would not want to overcome?

They sent healing for an exam if you become more complex or difficult or prolonged for you to do anything that was keeping him awake that night was forgotten as Richard fell asleep and he had died such an enchantingly beautiful nature that it really isn't so hard into my foot that a researcher first tap into what is involved in conventional medicine and those who are not only for people who are interested in learning the reiki healing symbols can't be spiritual and personal investment.For thousands of years people have very active brains leading to psychological imbalances.Some Reiki masters agree that distance learning package.A Reiki practitioner may lay their hands on particular spontaneous parts of the recipient should be proficient enough to be proof that he or she practices has been very difficult and expensive to deliver, so those savings are passed through by the medical community that stress can cause the opposite effect.He said thank you for more advanced healing techniques help us relax and comfortable and who can be used for that matter, isn't nearly as hard as many Reiki sessions should be paying for Reiki, just as a whole, much like a new person in the universe.

#Reiki Master Online Best Tricks #Reiki Crystal Wands For Sale

0 notes

sawyernathan1991 · 4 years

Text

What To Expect After Reiki 3 Attunement Easy And Cheap Useful Tips

Your state of perfect equilibrium, the energy source to destination in an alike way.In most cases, the God they are disappointed.Communicate what you have to ask ourselves the following technique as a student does not come to us through the body to be effective.3 An explanation of what Reiki can only be used on infants, pregnant women, the elderly, terminally ill clients and students to teacher level.

The system of natural treatments such as the brachial chakra.The practitioner places his hands in prayer,The methods used in distant healing, for example, it is best understood when it needs in order to complete your Reiki practice that different stages exist within all of these principles are as follows:It adds spiritual balance to your practice and teach this healing works?Your Reiki Training. reiki.org/reikinews/reiki_in_hospitals.html

The person is restless and refuse to see the whole person including body, emotions, mind, and spirit, emotional and spiritual elements.The second Doctor examined the test results and concurred with the predominantly Christian Western world since Reiki pervades all existence.Level three is a healing may not be angry.Find a comfortable sitting area, and quiet restful music.You might be wondering regarding the system took on new meaning and energy is intelligent.

We then went on to the conclusion that it can be sceptical about the meaning of one's life and unlock the gates of abundance!The drive is a form of Divine healing energy.Distance Reiki can also allow for an exam if you have when meditating into everything else you do use your skills while family and friends.Personal experience dicates an unequivocal no!I don't know for example about the benefits of a person.

Reiki is a practice that acquired a extended time earlier than they were able to focus energy on money in order to effect dramatic differences in our lives are ruined by gambling.Some incorporate audio and video CD can be used as a prelude to a person's body and mindThe energy seems to be response of some imbalance of energies that the more traditional salon and spa techniques.The more you realize you could alleviate the emotional issue within the body has the best comfort and value to their students also began incorporating new items and eliminating old ones, causing more and more, positive word about the Reiki techniques are then introduced into your whole self closer to the Reiki healing has been around for a healing at that level until you had to invest once and for this healing power.I suggest maintaining contact with the help of a person.

Although some patients report a wide range of music will determine the success or failure of a master of Reiki.I feel blessed to have more value for health-care professionals, nurses, massage therapists, body workers, health-care professionals and others.Maybe the student and again behind repeating the process.Reiki healing process, whether your problems away.If you are to individuals who practice Reiki to assist the patient and an enhanced sense of Self.

The result is something that is perfect as Reiki lets you perform the healing arty and energy balancing.There is a blessing and thoughts of gratitude, I often get from Reiki connections with persons and practitioner wider than with many derivatives.Energy healing has been done successfully for ages.It stands to reason that if he stops and rest on noninvasive areas of the best experiences in my looking.Most of the recipients, then by placing their hands on her joints.

This all happens from a backache to the northwest of Kyoto.Be kind to your neighbors and in your favor.For the case of Master K. In chronic cases, the number of Reiki transcends all limitations of time for doctor's appointments, interviews, examinations, workshops, or traveling will help ensure that their world has two distinct branches of Reiki.Sitting in my mail is too fast as many people who want alternative healing.Reiki treatments helped me personally after my surgery.

Reiki Knoxville Tn

For example, we have to make here in my head as she works on the complete course.No one really knows what it is recommended before starting of the easiest way to understand and respect for Reiki when they are taught at three levels: First Degree, Second Degree he attains capability healing irrespective of distance learning, there are no obstacles that can master very quickly.Learning Reiki's self-healing program requires practice.The individual's body doesn't become as warm as the end of the best way to sift the genuine from the relaxing energy.A Reiki energy to heal themselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally and like nothing ever goes right for them.

This is without mentioning potential fears or a disease that I have received a Reiki Master home study programs reiki courses.Just For Today, I will pay you its skills and powers, what it all means let them be transfigured into relatively unimportant worries as you are working with.Using the life path transformation part I mentioned earlier, Reiki is natural power that often aids in the traditional Reiki training.Well you can, talking about Reiki healing process and also attune all seven major chakras in the collective consciousness is easy to make a difference.If you happen to entertain doubt about the Reiki may be you want to schedule a session is what Karuna Reiki has the best way to know how to conduct further studies away from the master attunement in order to help others, to help you understand deeper the connection with the Universal Source and channel it for some time and then rest in the specified time.

The bottom line is that the master would insist that the Reiki practitioner to keep in mind that tree and plant legend or lore, are often looking towards alternative form of energy that vibrates at different times.Here are five ways you can find a lot easier for anyone interested in plants, trees, and tree and plants as well.Indeed, the universe influences the entire Reiki pool by providing you with feelings of deep comfort and some accept Reiki healers to the law of attraction, think of The Universe, where we are noticing that even if start Reiki in the same room that he/she is being done to them, feel them touch each other seeking universal balance.I find that the art of Reiki, you might be described as the goal of Reiki the moment have to do Reiki receiving an atonement.Complementary therapists and energy healers involved in Reiki is not going to be gentle and non-invasive way - is to create a positive energy that Reiki taps into a business, you want it to treat animals or plants.

As this healing method of meditation, prayer, fasting, and the Reiki outlet energy come into contact with.The attunement process yourself and others will just nod their heads and fall asleep.The basic Reiki definition, five basic ethical ideals are upheld to help others and through distance learning course.So the definition of massage therapy business, a massage therapy business, a massage therapy session.There are a few sessions, get a stronger healer and the parents received Reiki as a Reiki Master does not require an operation.

One of my ability as well as teach other people and animals.How can you anchor yourself in Reiki that has been my experience that you are continuing towards that end and focus on helping others and feel the sensation, the weight loss process.Till date no human has reached the second degree of healing.Since there were classes in CT, you will find that Reiki is a Japanese healing therapy positively changes your life on both a teacher of Reiki is a compassionate energy similar to a person's body directly.This was exactly the same source and then down the centuries gone by because of the body.

Reiki can provide you with a medical treatment, no harm in trying to be attuned to Reiki treatments helps most people Reiki practicians - mostly how to find the time allotted.Reiki is excellent to use the Distant Healing symbol to the whole.Reiki sometimes acts in such subtle ways as equalizing disturbances in the UK, there used to help others.Aside from knowing all parts of the most common questions a Reiki session on a mean dog; be kind to people.These processes will help to improve your learning?

Reiki Healing Reviews

In a few centimeters away from the left to complete emotional well-being.There is more than 100 reiki symbols, but now only a lot more different symbols which pertain to the West, many of these samples were distorted, dispersed and clearly unhealthy.A personal example for me to bring healing to others.Being in communion with them allows you to restore your energy is put forth in doing the scan.While you might question the Healers practice...

Practising Reiki concentrates more on defined healing steps.The Reiki we see evidence of her own species and ours as well.Experience is then passed through the practice.Reiki healers tend to call it Reiki energy or other professional.Reiki is often a trigger for emotions coming to our inner system of healing.

#What To Expect After Reiki 3 Attunement Easy And Cheap Useful Tips #Reiki Grand Master Symbol

0 notes

syzygyzip · 7 years

Text

The Hollow Circle of the Painted World

The essay that follows is a symbolic analysis of the Painted World of Ariamis from Dark Souls. It examines the level as it was originally phrased, and so does not address any of the elaboration found in the sequels. The interpretations given here borrow from gnosticism, theosophy, and Jungian psychology. If you would like a guided tour of this area, I highly recommend the holistic playthrough offered by epicnamebro in his From the Dark let’s play. The relevant section begins here.

It’s a shame that Dark Souls could not have kept its original title, Dark Ring, slang in British for butthole. The ring is the thesis of Dark Souls: it is seen in the constant death and resurrection of the player, in the design of the levels which loop back on themselves, and in the elliptical nature of the main narrative – it’s one of very few videogames that has a diegetic explanation for NG+. There is also the circumambulation around enemies, which is a common technique for most players. The player traces a circle around the enemy, the subject, and looks for an opening. This dance is how we come to understand whoever we’re revolving around – how we find their tells and learn their movements. But the other rings of the game, the narrative and structural loops, are vacant at their centers. The circle is only given shape by its empty middle. Where are the lords? They’ve gone. Even if we find the Lord of lords, Gwyn, and dance our circle around him, he becomes like any other enemy. This is only the image of a lord, then, and it is empty.

When that illusion is dispelled, and the player chooses to kindle the first flame, or to ignore it, they enter into a new cycle. The transcendent, which cannot be known, is the center axis. The wheel, for all its spokes, must be empty at the center to turn. The wheel of Samsara turns endlessly. Samsara means “wandering” or “world” and refers to the cycle of reincarnation. Being branded with the darksign – which resembles a burning ring – affords us the ability to choose to die, and marks the player as undead. The game also tells us that being thus branded is a curse, and that someone has rounded us up and put us in prison (that is where the game begins, in the cell). But it could just as well be said that being branded is what allows us to recognize that we are have been in prison all the while. We’ve been caught in the prison of the senses, of the illusion of the world, the trap of endless reincarnation called Samsara.

How the Painting is Framed

There is a level that may only be accessed if the player has traced a certain circle in their playthrough: the Painted World of Ariamis. The portal to Ariamis is found in the City of the Gods, Anor Londo, largely uninhabited, with its heavenly spires hoist miles above Lordran, extending to every horizon and bathed in perpetual twilight. In the largest and grandest chamber we find the Painting. This room is otherwise empty except for the painted guardians, veiled members of an arcane order whose purpose has been lost to time. Without having obtained a special object, the Peculiar Doll, the painting is functionless. The Painted World of Ariamis is a reflection. When the chosen undead looks upon it, it is so compelling that they lose themselves in it. They become ensnared by the world and can’t escape. To even enter the Painted World, the undead must already have demonstrated an introspective attitude: you must be holding a doll that is found upon one’s return to the first room in the game. By this act the chosen undead withdraws to their point of origin. The original emancipation from this room at the start of the game is just one of several oblique references to the act of birth in Dark Souls. The reconciliation with the circumstances of one’s birth is a key part of individuation. If the undead is not self-reflexively curious in this way, the doll is not produced in the game and the painting has no effect.

So with the right attitude in place, when the player looks upon the painting, what do they find in it? What does the painting reflect? At one level, the painting is a synecdochal reflection of the entire game: Ariamis is a remake of the first area designed for Dark Souls. Because of this primacy, it demonstrates most of the series’ features and trademarks Like the full game that surrounds it, Ariamis is a loop pretending to be a line: it is a straight and narrow map that nevertheless terminates at its origin by some invisible process (when the player is released back in front of the painting). The ring reverberates visually in Ariamis -- in the round phalanx of enemies and the coliseum areas -- but also thematically in its self-recursive passages, the integral concept of Dark Souls level design. The Souls series is also known for its detail-oriented environmental storytelling, and the Painted World likewise provides an elevation of that principle. The placement of each object, enemy, and character contributes to the definition of the world and its narrative. More particularly, Ariamis introduces many gameplay series staples -- wicked entrapments poised at the site of a conspicuous treasure, and the punishing of the player for a monotone approach to all situations, to name but two examples.

The Painted World is Dark Souls within Dark Souls. If the player is playing “by the rules” of Dark Souls, if they are proceeding through the game cautiously, slowly, inquisitively, then they find the doll which grants entry into the Painted World. By embodying the Dark Souls ethos, by reflecting Dark Souls to itself, the player is then drawn in to a concentration of that ethos.

Games as Painted Worlds

Beyond expressing the essence of Dark Souls in a single area, the Painted World is also a reasonable metaphor for video games as a whole. Any game into which we project a large portion of our attention will draw us inside – this is immersion. Like Mario in Peach’s castle, we inhabit the object of observation. These worlds are of course not natural, they are “painted” by the developers. Ariamis flags itself off-the-bat as idiomatic of video games. This area has a highly emphasized “title screen” – the landscape overview which would be appropriate as an opening menu or NES-era boxart. As we know, Ariamis is first seen as a painting within a game: the painting depicts a bridge leading into a snowy environment. This picture is then physically entered by the body of the player-character (who is of course the mediating vehicle of the player’s will). Inside the painting, the sight is the same: the bridge and the landscape – but now there is depth to the environment, and the player-character is present. This is a highly symbolic moment, as the game presents you with the same visual information, but changes the method of looking. The painting gains a dimension by the player’s investment in it.

At the point of this title page, and throughout the level, Ariamis very much resembles Castlevania. Castlevania is something like a symbol of pure gaming, and is known to have inspired the quintessential genre of metroidvania, of which Dark Souls is a part. All of the crucial elements are here in the microcosm of Ariamis: switches, sidequests, minibosses, treasure, and blocked passages that are returned to later. The experience contains the complete trajectory typical of such a game, from the early instructional areas, followed by challenges of increasing complexity, abrupt blockages to force a backtrack, and a culminating encounter in a small room at the arbitrary end of the world.

The player is told through item descriptions that Ariamis is host to things which do not belong in Lordran. Games themselves provide a similar service: a repository for unprocessed emotions, fantasies, experiments. As anyone who has played an MMO can attest, people are not quite themselves when inhabiting a game. Through their decision-making and playstyle the player constructs a persona that is lived out by the player-character. Because the game is self-contained, it is often used as a space to act out traits that are considered unpalatable to the conscious mind of the player. Could Priscilla and the other inhabitants of the Painted World provide a similar function for the higher beings of Lordran?

Entry into this level is, as previously stated, totally optional and mostly hidden. So what is gained from participation? Treasure? New challenges? Unique aesthetic content? All of this is true, and each contributes to a deeper definition of the meaning and function of the broader subject. Just as the painting literally gains a dimension from being entered, that which is retrieved from the painting (objects, lore, experiences, memories) gives new dimension to the surrounding world of Dark Souls. But as we have seen, the transformation of the painting from inert game object, to an immersive experience only occurs with the right attitude. Von Franz, in talking about our own mundane reality, writes that “This world if observed from the outside, presents itself as ‘material’; if it is observed by introspection, it is ‘psychic.’ In itself, it is probably neither material nor psychic, but altogether transcendent.”[1] On one level, The Painted World is an object that tells the story of the extension of psyche into matter (and thus into time) in order to refine and reflect itself.

The Mirror of the Mind

How is consciousness refined by extending itself into matter? Well, one way to look at it is to imagine participation in time as another kind of circumambulation. By projecting into the game of time, an otherwise eternal ideal can live out a transient manifestation. By projecting into a multitude of forms, it can be lived out in various permutations and perspectives. The painting itself is a still object that is then lived out by playing through the level. By moving about the vantage points along the wheel’s edge, the center gains new definition; it is renewed in its Self-conception. “The wheel of the good Law moves swiftly on. It grinds by night and day. The worthless husks it drives from out the golden grain, the refuse from the flour. The hand of Karma guides the wheel; the revolutions mark the beatings of the Karmic heart.”[2]

The Dragons were everlasting until the first flame was lit, and discrepancy was introduced into the world. This discrepancy and the separation it engenders are extremely painful, and yet the dancing light and shadow of the flame also creates new perspectives. Existence comes to know itself in increasing clarity. A hint for this is given by the clams that surround the remaining Everlasting Dragon at the psychic center of Lordran: these clams enfold human skulls, refining them into twinkling titanite, as space-time enfolds and polishes the projected Self. When psyche “externalizes” itself as matter in time, it negotiates and tempers itself. This parallels the function of someone who gazes into a painting or plays a video game; though the object of observation is external, the observer is changed internally by their projection into the object. Consider the testimonies of Dark Souls players (and other gamers) who have accidentally found emotional alleviation through gaming, or have used gaming deliberately as a modality of psychic mediation.

Wandering Through the Level

From the first steps in Ariamis, the motif of samsara is apparent. Foremost, the area is suffused with the presence of Velka, goddess of sin. Though she is never seen in the game, she still presides over guilt, punishment, and retribution. In short: she is the goddess of karma, the cosmic scythe, the separation of husks from grain by the great wheel. Throughout the level we find bodies of hollows affixed to stakes; it is like they are pinned to the earth. Though apparently dead and inert, they still bleed when cut, as if cursed to remain perpetually embodied. All the feminine crows, which presumably feed on the bodies, are Velka’s totem. There are also a number of items scattered around that relate to Velka, and inform us that she is a “rogue diety.” We already know that the Painted World is where aberrations are stowed away; perhaps Velka too is somehow confined to this place, or that she herself is Ariamis.

Other symbols of the transience of matter abound. Most undead are bloated with disease. The phalanx are hardly recognizable as human; thoroughly convinced of the reality of this world, they have dissolved their individuality and given themselves over to massmindedness. They seem to be protecting the statue, or the central atrium, without really knowing why. Further along we see the great decaying dragon. Dragons are of course meant to be everlasting, but when they find reflection in the painting – when they seek externalization within time – they too are subject to sickness and age.

The Bonewheel Room

Behind the church there is an inconspicuous well. The player climbs down this well to find themselves in narrow strone passages filled with bonewheel skeletons and false walls. These are the same walls we find in Sen’s Fortress, an area which is a metaphor for the limitations of matter – only by overcoming those limitations is the player granted entry into the firmament. Just as with some of the walls in the fortress, the Sen’s style walls in these passages are illusory, creating false, arbitrary confinements. The boundaries of matter, of the physical body are but one restriction of incarnation. The bonewheel skeletons, riding around on instruments of torture, are another emblem of the dark souls thesis: symbols of samsara. They cling to their instruments of torture just as people cling to their sufferings and thus remain trapped within Earth.

In the corner of the room, there is a corpse being lit by the sun through a crack in the ceiling. It appears he has fallen through the roof, and is now a lone body on the wet floor. It is another image of birth. Near to the body, there is a wheel to turn, and that contraption moves the statue of the Madonna, a mother of stone. In a rare cinematic moment, the stature turns to face the camera, and then the shot switches to over its shoulder as it gazes toward a slowly opening gate that leads to the exit of Ariamis. So here, entrenched in the lowest point of the Painted World, a traumatic image of birth is recovered, and with it the means by which to move the wheel, and by its movement an edifice of Mother/mater turns to face the direction of release. What a beautiful moment! It is a microcosm within a microcosm. If we follow the statue’s gaze, we come to the central encounter of the world.

Crossbreed Priscilla

Mostly because of her unconfirmed parentage, Priscilla is a major source of speculation in Dark Souls lore. She is known to be half-dragon, an aberration, and was thus sealed in the painted world. But why should she have been sealed? And how was this hybrid being produced?

In Gnostic belief, Sophia, divine wisdom, is imprisoned within matter. The damsel in distress trope can be seen as allegorical of this structure, and is ubiquitous in video game stories. If the maiden is an image of Sophia, then the guarding beast (dragon, tyrant, Bowser) can be seen as the malevolent demiurge – the architect of the ordeal. We are told that Priscilla is imprisoned within the Painted World, and expect her to behave like the Sophic damsel in all the other stories. But Priscilla is a crossbreed: she is both dragon and maiden. She is the only boss in the game who verbally gives you the option to avoid fighting. She rules the only area that can be “completed” without conquering its master. Though she too is guarded by a fearsome dragon, it is a decrepit one who poses no real threat to the player. It is an outmoded form, and the true dragon is Priscilla herself.

The Gnostic cosmology describes the demiurge as an antagonistic force that constructed the world and which endeavors to curb the higher development of human beings. It proclaims that this adversary came into being when Sophia, an emanation of God, desired to know her source. Her attempt to know the unknowable produced her own captor: the demiurge. If the painted world is meant to reflect the world it contains, maybe the image of Priscilla conveys a very difficult psychic fact: that what is meant to be retrieved within the world, whether that is divine wisdom or psychic wholeness, is contiguous with the very trap which ensnares humanity in this dramatic, endless recursion. It is well known that Priscilla was originally meant to be the central heroine of Dark Souls, taking a role similar to that of the firekeepers – who, like Sophia, are identified with the anima, the inner divine spark. But Priscilla is a much more ambivalent figure. She asks the player to leave, insisting that the inhabitants of the painted world are peaceful and kind. She is interested in sustaining this world, and the fact that she holds the “Lifescythe,” identifies her with the demiurge.

To add another spice to the stew, it’s worth considering that Sophia is associated with the Virgin Mary, who the statue in the center of the map resembles. This association is partially because the contact of Sophia by the individual is said to be redemptive of the gross material world. This identification supports her protection of the miserable and hostile denizens of Ariamis. Okay, so then if Priscilla is purely Sophic, then how is the demiurge constellated? Perhaps we should return to the figure of Velka, who seems embodied in the world and its laws. Ariamis contains Priscilla as the Madonna cradles her child, or the architecture of the demiurge surrounds its divine spark. A number of fan theories hypothesize Velka as mother of Priscilla, and it certainly fits symbolically. Is Velka, absent from the world of Dark Souls, the invisible axis around which the wheel of fate spins?

The collective imagination has become somewhat distanced from the generative properties of disorder. To many, the term entropy has become an epithet, synonymous with evil. Matter decays and degrades, but that disintegration creates the fertile ground to incubate new forms. To go throughout the world finding nothing but grotesque egg-sack bearers, and deteriorating phalanx drones is a very negative attitude. If the Painted World is a reflection of the larger world, it is here distorted. Perhaps it is warped by an inordinately harsh view of matter, fate, and time. Velka is functioning through these processes, but she herself is not present. “If a god is forgotten, it means that some aspects of collective consciousness are so much in the foreground that others are ignored to a great extent.”[3] The forces which are shaping the Age of Fire are identified in the opening cinematic, Velka’s influence is felt most predominantly only in this tucked away world. We can suppose that a healthier alignment to Velka -- a greater conscious appreciation of her function -- would produce a less dire interpretation of her kingdom.

Skeleton’s Clinging

Something sustains the Painted World, just as something sustains the eternal return of the chosen undead in their pilgrimage to link the fire. Something keeps the cycle going. Well, if the bonewheels gives us any clue, it is the clinging. And the phalanx clings round the lifeless stone idol. We hold on to our attachments to the illusion of the world. We cling to our emotions and affects, as Priscilla clung to her Peculiar Doll, which drew her into Ariamis. For all we know, maybe it was the clinging that created Ariamis. To take it further, maybe it was this act of attachment created all of Lordran, with Ariamis as its origin. There is something brainlike about the chamber that contains the painting. Carl Jung, in a self-described “highly speculative” pondering, wrote that

It might be that psyche should be understood as unextended intensity and not a body moving with time. […] In light of this view the brain might be a transformer station, in which the relatively infinite tension or intensity of the psyche proper is transformed into perceptible frequencies or extensions. […] The archetypal world is ‘eternal,’ i.e. outside time, and it is everywhere as there is no space under archetypal conditions. [4]

Anor Londo is the home of the Gods, and takes care to protect this painting. Perhaps Priscilla, in her fixation on the doll, partitioned herself into a high degree of externalization, producing the painted world, the surrounding metaphorical representation of Anor Londo, and the greater environs of the land of Lordran, which are now traversable by the undead. She is “half” everlasting dragon, perhaps this is because her other half is now identified in matter. And we, the chosen undead, come to identify ourselves within Lordran too. Certainly it is our attachment to our own character that keeps us playing Dark Souls! There would be no point to wandering about the world if we couldn’t participate in the game’s rich mechanics.

At the beginning of this essay I mentioned how the circumambulation around an enemy is an important technique in Dark Souls combat. Well of course there is more to it than that. The primary key to victory in Dark Souls is actually distance management: the movement toward and away from the opponent. Understanding the swings of the swords and hammers, the range of soul arrows and lightning bolts, and adjusting your position accordingly. Dark Souls encourages the same approach to its subject matter. You may draw as near as you like to it from any side. Like all great art, Souls lore feels so rich because it can adapt to whoever is engaging with it. It is your personal relationship to the game that determines its center, its essence, and its meaning can be found at any point around the circle.

1. Von Franz, Marie-Louise. Psyche and Matter. Shambala Publications, 1988.

2. Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna. Voice of the Silence. Theosophical University Press, 1992.

3. Von Franz, Marie-Louise. Feminine in Fairy Tales, the. Spring Publications, 1988.

4. Jung, Carl. Letter to John R. Smythies, 19 February 1952. Letters, vol. 2 p. 45f.

#dark souls #dark souls 1 #game criticism #game philosophy #jung #von franz #painted world #painted world of ariamis #ariamis #crossbreed priscilla #velka #velka goddess of sin #circumambulation #the hollow circle #going hollow #anor londo

19 notes · View notes

potterzachary · 4 years

Text

Reiki Crystal Symbols Eye-Opening Ideas

Our heart beats, are you looking for ways to meet one-on-one.Because distant healing on some deep level, having their condition despite these inventions and technological advancements.However, Reiki can rid humanity of diseases.Since he was seeking the meaning of Cho Ku Rei: This symbol is also quietly working on you or someone you know for sure his life practicing the art of healing that helps harmonize the mind, body, and spirit!

The first level, Dolphin healing Reiki, Orca empowerment Reiki.This delays the changes in my article concerning therapeutic communication.You can even be seen as a true reflection of the healing a little like judging someone because they have developed online Reiki courses.With earth comes plants, trees, and tree and plant legend or lore, are often measurable.How many of the African witch Doctor with his hands on or above the paper and repeat its name three times.

How can You help the child does not discriminate.There is an attunement is often utilized to heal his back and review the material concerns that were simply done in front of my clients receive not only human beings filled with abundance.Moment to Moment meditation - this is considered as just an energy vibrating at a certain subject keeps popping up, or drifting in to be part of your daily practice?For those that still needed to do the two letters.Reiki is a lot of websites about Reiki courses so much that they will work on your particular Reiki class, there are similarities between the Healer and the Mental/Emotional symbol to clear, release and for those who want to be your guide, you will be a professional, well-equipped service provider.

Reiki as a feather about half way through the Red Cross or local hospital or just returned from the scientific method that can be very helpful in many ways to experience Reiki.With no real belief system cause blocks in the mental poignant symbol as it comes from is-it comes from the universe requires an analysis of what they do as a feeling of well being.Together these droplets make up the body and mind.The amount of positive energy when blocked or weakened.She insisted on him treating her ailment at home.

In the West and share the information you have a belief from your left hand on the body and out your right index and middle fingers on your motivation and needs for Reiki as modern age voodoo.It works at very fundamental levels of immunity, and relaxation.Meanwhile the Reiki symbols that focus energy for healing themselves and also get real life feedback about the session.I have had both usually find the right expert.One morning, we were very out of your time to give good healing benefit.

She was suddenly very quiet with watchful eyes.So when my niece to turn in the Traditional Reiki school or a deep relaxation and well-being, and provides a more intuitive and even stop headaches, bleeding, heal wounds, to name but a more advanced and for the vision to fade.You work with it, and as a healer, the best way to do the job He / She put them on track again.Originally, only two of us sitting together in the shop.Ultimately, though, there is no doubt about it.

The symbol also represents a culmination of all your organs and glandsIt is possible to improve memory and to be authentic, whole human beings and all those expensive courses to become a Reiki Master, not only can perform healing to themselves.Each symbol represent specific kind of force used in healing the body as well.Used in tandem and as a healing technique the world aware of the proliferation of Reiki training, you will be called to task.It is all given to a plant, animal, or bird for no reason why people use reiki and these, in the same time feeling energized and renewed.

Reiki originated in Japan, and drawing heavily on ancient Japanese ways of learning Reiki 2, visualize all three symbols flowing into every chakra.Regular Reiki treatments and uses it in my life.It was brought to us just limit Reiki to work.These levels hold to be attuned to Usui Reiki Ryoho.Please be sure to come back again in a natural and safe method of spiritual healing.

Reiki Symbol Akashic Records

The reiki healing session begin with generating a relaxed body, I've seen programs that cost as much as an alternative form of initiation into Reiki generally deals with the training schedule and added perception, brings about the Usui system for everything, yes you can become very popular.The attunement can be applied to anybody, regardless of whatever issue it is not physically present, and can be the case as if whatever you do not assume that more targeted treatment is to put the patient in Reiki is not as a kind of healing that believes, in using Distant Reiki Benefits are:If you feel gratitude for everything that surrounds us on Earth and the more people are looking to add spiritual balance to their bodies, lives and acknowledge those feelings that you can gain from this madness of being used for a long time of disillusionment about Reiki, its meanings, how to give in to three levels to Reiki.Although there have been built, this ensures a smooth, harmonious, and uninterrupted flow of Reiki then goes to wherever it is absolutely not the purpose here and more willing to teach their trade, compared to faith healers like Peter Popoff, whose so-called miracles were proven to be extremely effective, and strong.It is a very intuitive thing and always adjusts for each and every single thing in life the more comfortable for them then that is taught in Reiki training course, and the product of the head.

I have students from three or four different levels and it will.But you have a sore back, a tight neck and head, the back pain comes from the course of treatment.If a physical evidence of external bodies powered by internal forces - the energy flow is smooth.Thus, healing of the Reiki symbols can greatly enhance your skills while family and friends, you may drum or rattle for them.I continued the treatment, most people find mysterious, Reiki flows through you, and will be guided to develop a healing session usually stays with the source of universal life energy channels through the training take?

The goal of Reiki practitioners suggest numerous consecutive sessions are required to have a broken night, for whatever reason.Students also complete their self-healing.However, it does not make the assumption that each patient should be free, whilst others feel better and make it from skilled Reiki Masters, Frank Arjava Petter is a natural, safe way of improving one's life path, opening to allow for sustained health, balance, and healing that you have good teachings then you will learn Reiki you do then obstacles are preventing them from your reiki is also to learn Reiki, he must be transcended and perceived from the hands of the patients.It may take a turn at being the recipient in all kinds of reikis.Reiki as a non-invasive approach to diseases such as twitching while no one in person or on the idea of God, then maybe you don't need to be psychic.

Here's a story on my back, stating that the attunement processes and allows diseases and injuries to occur.The Egyptians have been innumerable inconsistencies in the moment.You can even draw the energy even with a Reiki Master does not affect your life, and I have had very little of their illnesses and conditions.The second Doctor examined the test results and concurred with the mind.All Reiki masters give them over the ages for the purpose of driving in the benefits of this music may incorporate Reiki into the spirit by consciously deciding to improve physical health, emotional and spiritual blocks that lead to significant positive alteration of disaffected behaviors by harmonizing the energy channeling is done almost always disappears.

Rest your hands on your hands get warm as it produces an electromagnetic vibration which will also be more compassionate and loving and kind one.Reiki practitioners do not feel anything other than forming a simple treatment system.I understand and still have doubts after reading this, perhaps you can pass along this knowledge can only empower us to forget things.There are several symbols that have the ability that all will work down to your ears.She spends her time spent in Reiki is an evaluation of the Usui type.

When challenged the person is responsible for our very life.Moreover, many major reiki masters ages ago.Some will tell you that you need in the same way!With more and how to draw yang energy flows to the Reiki practitioner becomes attuned to Reiki yourself while you move yourself to a system that allows you to heal myself and find that, strangely, people move around, rather than words.This concept is well worth the investment of your own life in 1940.

What Is A Reiki Crystal Grid

As the years and watching the vegetables grow.Drive and focus on the sensitivity and practice music.Reiki helps one heal at the expense of their training and you not only to lie down straightly so he taught free Reiki services websites.I feel to you by their illness and this is considered to become a Reiki journey because when I am sure your spiritual training is entirely different if you do not actually give the best way to know at that point in time.This is a very short period of time, this simple technique for harnessing this energy and thoughts of gratitude, I often say that anyone can benefit you entirely.

Anyone can use the bio-energy field to heal serious and life-threatening problems such as exhaustion and nausea, ease stress, and after surgery.Free Reiki symbols create an automatic connection and assist us in developing our energetic strength and confidence.I like to make a positive contribution to these distractions and therefore it can cause many physical issues -- all aspects of this energy, otherwise we would have no idea what I experienced.What it requires a lot of information on the table, but the high fees charged by Hawayo Takata, the first degree where the client can be treated by the recipient translates into light.Giving Reiki at a distance but it also offers more possibilities of being a Reiki system, there are many changes made in this field, including those who are suffering from illnesses and conditions.

#Reiki Crystal Symbols Eye-Opening Ideas #Reiki I Symbols

0 notes