#change your path. Second year transition

[apna04counsellor]

How to Take Admission in Another College in the 2nd Year and Upgrade Your Branch in Maharashtra

For students in Maharashtra pursuing their engineering degree, the idea of switching colleges or upgrading their branch in the second year is a sought-after option. This article outlines the processes, eligibility criteria, and necessary steps to help students navigate these transitions, whether they’re aiming for a lateral entry into a different college or seeking a branch change within their…

[tsukimirecs]

nekoma // fic recommendations

note: remember to read the tags! + i do not own any of these works + the synopsis for each fic belongs to the author who wrote the fic

kuroo tetsuro

taste test - kaientai

synopsis: when you taste the same thing as your soulmate, things get interesting

red all over - meldve

synopsis: you are trapped in an elevator with your work rival, kuroo. what else could go wrong?

your name - tsukisemi

synopsis: kuroo finds you really cute, too bad you keep giving him a fake name every time you come into the coffee shop he works at

public transit - orphan_account

synopsis: your heart pounded, knowing you were being touched, and he was watching you.

but when he loves me - sweetcandyliar

synopsis: there are so many ways that kuroo tells you he loves you.

somewhere only we know - wanderwithme (wanderlustt)

synopsis: four times kuroo proposes to you - and the last time he does

meeting the boys - orphan_account

synopsis: in which no one really believes kuroo could get a girlfriend as incredible as you

落葉 | rakuyou - deltachye

synopsis: maple leaves are most beautiful in which they have died, falling slowly, waiting patiently to be reborn

riverbank - itsleese

synopsis: you're reminded of the little boy you loved way back then, the riverbank you played at together. maybe you should go see it?

caring cats - haikyuu_philia

synopsis: nekoma is family

disrupted meetings - sansos

synopsis: dr. tetsurou kuroo’s research group has transitioned to hosting meetings online. what could go wrong?

cat ears - just__j

synopsis: kuroo approaches you, captain of the girls club, with a proposition of a bet for the losing captain

kozume kenma

change the channel - alkale

synopsis: "i want to buy your game from you"

kodzuken does not have a girlfriend - bunnytime

synopsis: it has been a running joke that kodzuken lies about having a girlfriend for years now. needless to say, his fanbase is convinced he doesn’t really have a girlfriend

second place - yourqueenhasarrived

synopsis: kenma forgets your anniversary and once again pushes you aside for his gaming career. how much can you take?

an inconvenient crush - the_only_iris

synopsis: kenma has had the biggest crush on twitch streamer, (y/n). what happens when their paths cross?

learning process - nomazee

synopsis: you and kenma always had an interesting dynamic. kuroo found it nice for everyone involved

thank you for being a friend! - heichoe

synopsis: ”if it helps: when you gave kuroo head in high school, he said it was great"

yaku morisuke

who dares speak aloud these words (intended for the heart to speak) - sunmoonstarsrain

synopsis: yaku bursts into her life like a hurricane, even whilst akaashi lingers on like the memory of a summer breeze

artists eyes - teapots_and_teacups

synopsis: yaku was used to being ignored on the court

if only i were selfish - this noodle writes

synopsis: yaku was anything but a selfish man, but being selfless had cost him you once before. so, when he gets the chance to see you again, will he finally be selfish enough to try?

note: as you can tell, i'm trying a different recommendations style- what do you think? do you think i should switch back to the first one or is this one better? would love to know your thoughts

[rebelspykatie]

Steve comes from a long line of only children. He’s the last one standing after his mother dies, left alone on a barren family tree. This deep longing for an extended family made a home in Steve’s soul at a young age. For so long, it was only Steve and his mother. She raised him as best she could, but Steve never wanted that lonely existence. 

Finding someone that would want that life with him didn’t pan out the way he thought it would. Dating in Hawkins was limited and if he wanted to be truthful with people, also dangerous. Robin was the best dating app mishap turned best friend Steve could’ve hoped for, and she encouraged him to look into solo parenting, promising to be his platonic coparent every step of the way. 

Before his transition, he started a grueling IVF journey. Wanted to quit more times than he wanted to carry on. It didn’t take the first time, and Robin was there to hold him when he wasn’t sure he could handle another round of it. They didn’t know how lucky they’d get the second time. 

Dustin was born just after Thanksgiving that year, and he turned into a precocious toddler faster than Steve could blink. He had this mass of hair that Steve was in awe of, the height definitely coming from him but the curls were a mystery gift from their donor. Steve loved his chubby cheeks and toothless smile more than anything on earth. 

Everything about Dustin brightened up Steve’s world, even when his screams kept Steve and Robin awake all night, or he spit up on Steve’s shirt right before work and he had to change into a questionably dirty shirt because he hadn’t had time for laundry. Steve loved it all. He especially loved how smart his kid was, shooting straight to the top of his class, reading above grade level, doing math equations faster than Steve could comprehend. Robin joked that the donor must have some strong nerd genes to come from Steve and be that much of a math genius. 

He doesn’t actually know much about the donor, other than the recording he has from the interview and a brief profile of his family’s medical history. It might be silly, but Steve ended up picking this donor because of his laugh. It was melodic, ringing in the air long after he finished laughing, and something about it pulled at Steve’s heart in a way the others didn’t. 

Steve doesn’t hide much from Dustin, there’s no point really when your kid’s a genius, but he doesn’t give Dustin the file until he turns 11, doesn’t even hint at it. While Dustin is a curious kid, he’s also got a knack for knowing when to press an issue or not. He had a lot of questions about the process, but always shied away from asking more about how Steve chose or who his donor was. When they finally talked about it as Steve handed over the file to Dustin on his eleventh birthday, Dustin said he always knew Steve chose to have him and that was all that mattered. 

But once he gets his hands on that file, the curiosity voyage sets sail and Dustin’s chasing leads on who this man is like he’s in an episode of scooby doo. The agency will only give them the contact information they had on file 12 years ago. It’s a long shot, expecting someone’s number to be the same, but it’s all they have. A single phone number. 

When a gruff voice answers the phone and Steve explains the situation, the man on the other line agrees to meet them. The address he gives is for the Munson ranch about an hour outside of town. He knows about the ranch in the same way everyone in a small town knows of each other. He’s never been there, but the owner brings a lot of money into the town and mostly keeps to himself. His nephew was a few years ahead of Steve in school, but they never crossed paths. 

It turns out there’s only one Munson left in Hawkins, and Steve’s pretty sure the bald man that’s twice Steve’s age and looks down his nose at Steve and Dustin, isn’t the donor. Recognition sparks in his eyes, though, when Dustin starts talking, some of that defensiveness melting off his face. It’s softening into the same fondness Steve has when looking at Dustin, that inescapable way he pulls you into his orbit and snatches your heart right up. He lets Dustin take the reins, watching Wayne fall under Dustin’s spell.

His first words after Dustin’s long rambling opener about their predicament are, “Your hair looks just like his at that age.” 

Hope blooms in Steve’s chest. He’d been afraid that they wouldn’t find anything, or what they found might disappoint Dustin. But there’s someone out there that’s half of Dustin. Someone that might have given him all these little quirks that Steve’s so fond of. Someone that might want to be a part of his life, even if Steve isn’t sure he’s ready for that. 

Wayne explains that his nephew is out of town with his band, touring somewhere until the end of the month when they come home for the holidays. That’s only two weeks away and it doesn’t give Steve long to prepare for meeting someone that helped bring the best thing into his life, but it’s enough time for Wayne to welcome them into his home with an open heart.

It’s just long enough for Steve to find out that Eddie grew up on the ranch with Wayne and his father, who abandoned them when Eddie was about Dustin’s age. To find out that Eddie always loved music more than the horses and took off the first chance he got once he had the funds. To see pictures along a mantle of another precocious kid with a wild mane of hair that looks about as unstoppable as Dustin. 

Robin comes with them the night they’re going to meet Eddie. It’s a few days after he’s returned from tour. Wayne wanted enough time to prepare him before getting Dustin’s hopes all the way up. When they got the okay, Steve wasn’t sure he could do it alone, so Robin is glued to his side when they pull up at the ranch and come face to face with Edde Munson. 

But Steve relaxes when he sees the same wide grin on Eddie’s face that he sees on Dustin’s every day. And he doesn’t know it yet, but maybe he’s finally filled out that family tree and found the home he never knew he needed, with branches for Robin, Dustin, and maybe two Munsons.

[mermaidchansons]

Divine Indeed: Part Two

Neighbor!Terry Richmond x Divine Wells (black OC)

Story Summary: Divine Wells, a 31-year-old seamstress, deals with waves of change after she picks up her life and moves to San Diego for a new job. She thought she’d finally found peace in her new normal; until Oshun decided to push her path to collide with her fine ass neighbor, Terry Richmond.

Words: 2300+

Warnings: mentions of loss, lust

Author’s Note: Better late than never lmfao. Feedback is always encouraged! Don’t keep your thoughts in that pretty head, share with me, bby <3 - Ashanti

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt.3

Meow! 

“I hear you, T. Just give me 5 seconds, man.” 

Terry looked down at his watch, watching the seconds hand cross over the 12 and stopping the alarm just as it began to ring out. The music in his ears transitioned to the next song on Death’s ‘…For The Whole World To See’ album. It was 7:30 AM, which meant breakfast time for the one-year-old Maine Coon, and he was intent on making it everyone’s problem. He scampered over to where his human was sitting to tie his sneakers and placed his big front paws on Terry’s knees; claws slightly sinking into the outer layer of his owner's skin. Shaking his head, Terry headed out of his bedroom and over to the kitchen where elevated bowls with the name T’Challa written in black. 

Terry tightened the loop of his gym bag at his chest as he briskly walked across the room with his cat in tow; mewling at him in annoyance. He moved to San Diego just over two years prior, intent on putting his past behind him and finding himself again; or whoever he was now that his only living family member was gone. The sense of self that he had felt confident in was shaken and depleted. The Marines instilled Terry with discipline and determination where Michael gave him a sense of adventure and a purpose; a reason to keep going. For years, he had a purpose in two entities. But now that time and circumstance had ripped both out of his grasp, he needed a change of scenery; to get out of the south. Terry was stagnant for once in 10 years and in becoming familiar with the suffocating, muggy feeling of loss, he knew he needed out. Loss would have eaten him whole with no regret or second thoughts.

Terry reached into the tall food container, scooping up dry kibbles and moving to the food bowl. As if on cue, T’Challa stood on his stocky hind legs with his face in the bowl, waiting for the kibbles to drop. Terry attempted to push the cat’s long face away, rolling his eyes at the sound of a very long drawn-out meow. The little man was impatient as hell and acted as if Terry would ever let him miss a meal. T’Challa resisted as always, hellbent on being in the way and Terry poured the food directly onto his head, calling him an ‘asshole’. He would never get over how half of the kibble never made it into the bowl. When he first moved into this apartment, the woman who helped him sign the lease suggested that he’d get a furry companion to help ‘evade the inevitable loneliness’. And yet it was times like this that made him wonder if he should have chosen loneliness instead.

“I better not find any of that food in that damn bed, T,” Terry warned the cat as he walked out the front door, locking it behind him; jiggling the handle for good measure. Bypassing the elevator and heading to the staircase, Terry checked his texts to see that his client would be 15 minutes late. He flexed his jaw incredulously, shoving the phone in his pocket. He’d have to nip that in the bud. Tardiness was something Terry would not tolerate. After being berated by his Creole grandmother in front of her book club for his tardiness, a 7-year-old Terry had decided that he would never be late to anything ever again. And he never was. ‘Cause who would he be if he went against Grandma Thérèse’s orders? A smirk appeared on his face as he landed on the second floor, hearing her voice in his ear saying ‘if you’re on time, you’re late. And if you’re late, you may as well have stayed home, chile’. 

Terry waltzed into gym room #7 with his attention to his phone and stopped in his tracks. The music in his ears seemed to also be playing out loud, causing him to blink at the impending confusion. Pausing the music and taking out his AirPods, he finally looked up. A candy pink speaker sat against the farthest wall blasting the tail end of ‘Politicians In My Eyes’ by Death. Across from the speaker was a person high up on the stair master, squeezing her eyes shut as she stepped up each step. Her pink afro bubble braids were half up, half of them hanging down her back; just passed the cup of her thick backside. 

Terry hid a growing smile when he took a closer look at the gym set the beautiful stranger was wearing. A light blue with water ripples and bright yellow rubber ducks that warped and jiggled with each hike she made. It was almost comical, but not nearly enough to distract him. His mouth went dry as he observed the stranger, taking in every curve and roll as she climbed the stairs to the beat of a new song. He was staring for far too long and he knew it. But she made it hard to turn away; the swing of her plentiful hips with each step was enough to make him drop to his knees and beg her for an ounce of attention. Just an ounce, he knew he didn’t deserve any more than that. No one on earth was deserving of someone like her. Refocus, be cool. 

“My bad, I didn’t know this room was booked up,” Terry yelled over the electronic music. 

Her head whipped to look at him before she scrambled, trying to stop the machine and pause the music at the same time. She stood on the side of the machine, frantically ripping out the safety chord and turning down the music with both hands. Her chest bounced up and down wildly, trying to catch her breath. Terry fixed his mouth to ask if she was alright, but she stuck out her index finger, silencing him. He nodded and walked over to the panting goddess, holding out his hand in support. She gingerly placed her small palm in his, letting him guide her back down to safety. He picked up what he assumed to be her pink, sticker ladened hydro flask and handed it to her. Terry watched intently as she mouthed a thank you. 

“I didn’t mean to barge in on your time,” Terry apologized, one foot behind him, ready to leave her to her own devices. 

“No, no- don’t mind me, we can share for the last 10 minutes.” 

Pink bubble braids swayed around her as she made her way over to a pile of weight plates on the floor, left behind by someone in a rush no doubt. Terry watched as she bent down to pick up a plate, but stayed down. She had to have known it was too heavy, but she continued to strain. 

How long is she going to keep this up? Terry tried his best to quell the bubbling laughter rising in him. With arms crossed, he observed as she finally lifted the plate off of the ground and practically threw it onto the bench. He watched her face contort in the reflection of the mirror, scrunching her cute little round nose at the sudden clanging of metal. Down again she went, moving into a deep squat to lift the next plate. Terry shut his eyes tight, pulling his lips in as the laugh began trickling out of him, making an audible pffft. 

“You could help you know,” the beautiful stranger whined with an incredulous look on her face; which soon melted into a smirk once she saw the smile plastered on Terry. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Terry jogged over, trading laughs between them. He didn’t have much experience in the art of flirting, and never really had the urge to engage in it. Leading as many lives as Terry had, one would think romance must have wiggled its way in at some point. Yet, here he stood, unable to remember how long it’s been since he’d been on a date. It couldn’t have been in the last year, he’d been a hermit since he’d moved to San Diego. 

“It’s hard to take you seriously with all the ducks and cuteness.”

“Listen, you wouldn’t be saying that if you saw the lack of cute workout clothes in size fat. I had to make these myself.” 

Terry took the weight plate out of her hands. “Word? Is that what you do?” He bent down to return the plates, his eyes darting to the rubber duck charms dangling from her blue sneakers.

“Yeah, kinda,” she sighed before taking a long swig of water, “I’m a seamstress so I mostly execute other people’s visions. I don’t get a lot of time to work on my own stuff.” 

“By the way you sound saying that you might need to make some time for yourself. Otherwise, you gone sound like a depressed robot.” 

Terry nudged her shoulder with his and she dramatically swayed to the side. Her tooth gems gleamed in the light when her chubby cheeks squished up into a smile. Warmth radiated in the tips of Terry’s ears and he swallowed dryly to extinguish the growing desire in his abdomen. 

“Marvin? Stop, my mom used to call me that. She loves that movie.” She started to walk towards the door and Terry’s feet moved with hers, no thoughts required.

“That was one of the last movies I saw in theater.” 

She scrunched up her face and stopped in her tracks. Terry stopped with her in tandem and waited in curiosity. He looked down at her with his brow lifted in question. 

“Wait, that was like a bajillion years ago! You gotta get out more, dude. Listen, there’s a theater two blocks away that does $5 Wednesday showings.” 

Terry cheesed hard watching the little deity jump into a myriad of movie titles and where to watch them online. She looked almost offended that he had not had the chance to experience these movies, going into her recommendations for the month. Sure, he hadn’t dated in what felt like a century, but maybe a movie date would be nice. 

“My bad, I’m running my mouth about a special interest and I don’t even know your name yet.” 

Terry blinked away the date ideas swirling in his head and brought himself back to the present, rewinding and replaying the last sentence sent into the air. “You’re good. Nice to meet you, I’m Terry. Terry Richmond. I’m on level 5.”

She slid a small, gold-adorned hand into his larger one and pulled her shoulders back. “Pleasure to meet you, Terry of Level 5. My name’s Divine Wells, first of her name, keeper, and dweller of level 2.” 

He watched her bow into an assisted curtsey, giggling; clearly tickled by her joke. She was an absolute nut and he grew entranced with every word that fell from her pouty pink lips. Her name echoed in his head in a voice other than his own and rushing water sounded in his ears. The voice repeated her name until it melted into the familiar pitter-patter of raindrops against a window. What was she doing to him? Her brown sugar eyes broke away from his to look out the window at the sudden rain. He immediately missed their connection, desperate to be beneath her gaze once more. Looking down at their still connected hands, he felt almost magnetized to her. 

When Divine returned her attention to his face, her eyes grew large with shock and she took her hand out of his. “My bad,” she said in hushed tones.

“You’re good, Divine.” Terry’s eyes racked up and down her body once more before offering her a small, genial smile. She bit her lip and drew her eyes away. Was she blushing? Terry slyly dug into his pocket for a business card, getting one ready to hand to her.

“You know I-”

“Hermano, my bad bro, my alarm didn’t go off and I had this honey over last night. I lost track of time, bro.” An olive-skinned man projected his voice as he tip-toed in, vacuuming away the swells of lust in the air. Terry crossed his arms and pointed his eyes like daggers at the man. Divine’s shot between them and let out a small ‘oop’. 

“Stretch.” 

One word from Terry and the man damn near sprinted to the other side of the gym room, his overly large gym bag rustling loudly with each step. Terry looked over to see Divine gathering her things to prepare to leave. 

A waterfall of pink puffs covered her face as she bent down to her belongings into a bag. Rubber ducks jiggled with her behind as she stepped, drawing Terry’s attention again. He had to stop looking at her like this. If he didn’t, he’d have to step away from his client session to take care of the growing pain below his abdomen. 

Divine walked towards the door waving with one hand, and put on her headphones with the other. “Nice meeting you, Terry.” 

“You too. Hold up.” Terry took three steps forward, his heart jumping a beat as he watched Divine bite her lip once more; those eyes flooding him with heat. “I know we don’t know each other like that but here’s my number. Let me know if you ever need anything, I take this community shit seriously.” 

Her eyes lit up as she took the card from his hand and Terry flexed his jaw. He was in agony just looking at her.

“Whatever you say, Terry.” He watched Divine and her rubber duck-lined outfit walk away as the rain picked up outside. He was in trouble.

Tags:

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Thanks For Reading!

[nico-esoterica]

Your thinking is an investment.

(Long Post): Even if shit doesn't hit the fan right away, you're planning for that story to eventually happen. If you hate your job, your living situation, your life path, whatever it is, the story you're telling about it to others and yourself is always manifesting. You can't turn it off. It's okay to not enjoy it, hate it, etc. But it's important to pivot your mindset and investing in seeing it changing. Whatever you tell yourself consistently will play out.

I'm going to discuss intrusive thoughts and OCD below and how I managed mine while manifesting:

Intrusive thought/OCD wise, it's not any or every thought that pops up in your brain. It's just what you validate. Even if you're afraid or paranoid about xyz, your emotional mind thinks it's real but the rest of you doesn't. Your mental responses you can't control aren't going to manifest. In therapy, you learn that you don't have to give these fleeting thoughts power, even if they're incessant. You still have control. It's also totally okay if you vent about your circumstances btw. That's not going to affect anything if you say it won't.

Everyone is always going through something. And during all this, especially with transitioning from taking full control after a lifetime of thinking you couldn't, it may feel like absolutely nothing is going on and shit can feel frustrating. However, what you don't know is that you're rewriting all of the people and situations you've changed your mind about. You may not see the full changes right away, but please take every single 'coincidence' as a sign of it working, because it is. People are going to start being nicer and more considerate, situations will be less frustrating, money will be more fluid, and your mental health will improve. It's also okay to be emotional, frustrated, and to just not be okay. If your story overall doesn't change, you're fine. Let those emotions flow!

There's going to be a lot of epiphanies and break throughs, especially if you start nurturing your self concept and apply that peace of mind it gives to everything. You're going to start noticing harmful thought patterns you've had, decisions you've made because of conditioning, and you'll see what you need to internally let go of. This is where therapy, therapeutic tools, and different spiritual practices and rituals come in to help this adjustment. There's no one size fits all for everyone so you should ideally find what speaks to you and not what you 'think' you should adopt. Your intuition, imo, will help you out here. This may be a period where you purge out old relationships, habits, and lifestyles which don't align with you anymore. They may even simply fall off on their own. None of this has to happen but is what I see in a lot of people due to my own journey. But nothing bad has to happen nor do you need to sacrifice anything. That's Hollywood-dramatic, lmao. You just may not resonate with a lot of shit anymore. And that's OKAY! It's great tbh. You're going to notice people's limitations they impose on you or themselves immediately too.

The second you say shit's new, then it is. When you continue to choose it or persist, you'll notice the wheels moving. After a week, month, months, or a year or more, your circumstances are going to dramatically change. They can literally happen over night if you like your shit to move fast too. After a while, you're going to understand the mechanics of how YOU personally manifest and what you like to do vs what you don't. There's no one size fits all. It doesn't matter if you've tried a thousand techniques. As long as you say everything you do is working and you are a stubborn motherfucker, your mind's going to get used to it and will stop fighting you on everything, especially if you're neurodivergent. Speaking from experience. When you tell your brain who's boss consistently, it takes you at your word and the trust you have in yourself to choose the best outcomes you develop from your self concept starts running in the background. It'll become easier to self-soothe, reassure yourself, and regulate your nervous system. When you say you're in control, your universe says 'okay, bet' and you'll find those resources easily or you'll start naturally doing them.

You're constantly investing in what works for you or works against you. You're either trusting in things working or working against your favor. That's why it's always good to think great things about yourself regardless of circumstances how things look or seem or how the past played out. All outcomes shift immediately with your awareness of what you think is possible. Your senses are limited and this is why it's crucial to let your imagination do the rest. Because shit always catches up. Your brain can't tell the difference between what you think you're experiencing vs what you actually are irl.

So if you continually tell yourself good things are happening or will, there has to be a confirmation bias for that. Your brain runs off your logic at all times. Therefore, you can rationalize that anything can work and it will. From a nitty gritty pov, you should always make sure to still be reasonable about shit, like to not blow your rent on some bs in one night. But after a while, you'll be able to do that and it won't be a problem. Don't stress your mental bandwidth out like that at first unless you have the inner resources to lock in on a good outcome. Dream big and do all things big, but do so safely without risking your mental health.

Whatever you invest in, positive or negative, will always pay off. Choose them wisely :)

[eldritch-spouse]

I know you said having kids with Vesper is nonexistent cus he's the Icon of Lust and he's allergic to minors. But hear me out:

What if on the unfortunate fate that Vesper finds his Queen, but she's a single mom with a kid and she refuses to abandon said kid? Would he just wait till the kid had left the nest or something? What's his plan if he has to face that scenario?

TW: Self-harm/Suicide attempt mentions; Emotional and physical abuse.

Vesper is a demonlord. For as much as many infernal residents can embody positive qualities and act fairly, demonlords act empathically mostly if it's convenient for them to do so. In the end, there's usually a selfish motive behind it.

Vesper gives you the choice to no longer presently be a part of your child's life. To perform this transition as smoothly as possible. Either you do it, or he has someone else remove the child from you, placing them either with a family member of choice or foster care. Both paths are incredibly traumatic to everyone involved except him, naturally.

Vesper doesn't have the patience to wait eighteen years or ten years or even just five.

You're right there. His Queen. Within easy reach. He won't deny the two of you the paradise that awaits! Not even for a second!

You made a mistake in the past, is what he tries to make you understand. Hearing your very own child be referred to as a "mistake" is enough to make you so furious you become feral, but it's the way the King sees things. He's not expecting you to completely forget your own offspring, but he does expect you to accept your new reality and understand that child is no longer within reach until they become an adult. You can talk to them and interact with them from a distance, only.

As an Icon of Carnality, Vesper doesn't have the faintest clue how deeply the ensuing depression will take root within you. He can only try to distract you, try to will it away by encouraging you to take solace in a myriad of pleasures of the flesh. His patience chipping away the more you refuse to move on, refuse to accept him, refuse to change for him!

Provided he has an inch of cooperation from your part, Vesper arranges meetings for you and your child. More than likely on another Ring of Hell, or in very specific locations on the surface. He's not present in the exact location, but he is around, as well as a sizable portion of guards. Although these meetings are often short and awkward, although your own child seems estranged and bitter about their situation, although you yourself feel as if constantly toeing the line of an emotional breakdown- It's contact. It's an attempt to meet you in the middle.

You'll still be punished for attempting to harm or end your own life in the face of these circumstances. Though there's now an added layer of poisonous manipulation, when Vesper asks you if you would be so cruel as to end your existence- Instead of waiting for your child to grow into an adult.

Can you say you really love them if you planned to die right now?

Total rejection of your current situation will result in Vesper constantly dangling the threat of taking the misery away, by keeping you near-constantly sedated with pheromones. You can't give into despair when all your brain is thinking about is the next lewd interaction.

Speaking of, this specific scenario will prompt Vesper to want to place his mark upon you much faster than usual. Immediately, actually. This is horrible, because it'll actively make you want to stay away from your child, due to physical revulsion reactions that you can't do anything to stop. Turning you into a concubus will ensure you just can't be anywhere near them at all. Not without deep sickness.

[elminx]

Energy Update: Mercury Retrograde, August 2024

Starting on August 5th, Mercury enters retrograde 3/4 of 2024. The retrograde runs from 04° Virgo to 21° Leo and makes thrice repeating trines with our Wounded Healer Chiron in Aries and squares to Uranus in Taurus. Retrograde Mercury will also conjunct the Sun and Venus once (as it does most retrograde cycles) and sextile Mars in Gemini once, as well.

The Basics

Mercury, our planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades 3 to 4 times every year. This means that Mercury’s retrograde cycle is “business as usual” and isn’t something that should be feared but it is a change in the energy signature of one of our personal planets, so it’s worth paying attention and making adjustments where necessary.

Retrogrades don’t mean that the planet ACTUALLY is moving backward, of course. It is a perspective shift in our perception of the planetary movement through our skies. In this way, our perspectives and perceptions can get a bit twisted during these times and it is easy to miss key details or communicate ineffectively.

During Mercury’s retrograde, Mercury traces its path backward in our skies and it is considered better to go over your work rather than start something new. Mercury passes over these degrees in the sky thrice: the first time during its pre-retrograde shadow, the second time while it moves backward during its retrograde, and again a third time while it moves forward in its post-retrograde shadow. Because of this, we all get the cosmic opportunity to relearn and refocus on certain things that are going awry in our lives.

By looking at the degrees of Mercury’s retrograde and comparing it to your birth chart, you can understand how Mercury’s retrograde cycle might affect you. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you can always purchase a Mercury retrograde transit chart from me on Kofi.

Mercury retrogrades affect some people more than others. By order of significance, these people are most likely to be affected by a Mercury retrograde:

If you have Sun, Moon, Ascendant in Gemini and Virgo, or Mercury closely conjunct (within 2°) to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant

If your natal Mercury was in retrograde or out of bounds

If the current retrograde crosses over your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant (in conjunction) or makes a square or opposition

If the current retrograde crosses over your Mercury, Venus, or Mars or makes a square or opposition with them

If the current retrograde makes a trine with one of your personal planets or a sextile to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant

If you work in a job that involves technology, communication, or travel or are currently undergoing a task that involves one of these domains during this retrograde cycle

If you live with, are in a relationship with, or closely work with a person who meets the above criteria

One can assume that the more of these factors in play, the stronger you may experience the effects of a Mercury retrograde cycle. This isn’t to say that what you experience will be bad or wrong – some people experience a lot of freedom from Mercury’s journey. The more open you are willing to give up control and stay open to the ever-changing landscape of a Mercury cycle, the easier it will be.

The Nitty Gritty

Now that we’ve gone over the basics let’s take a look at the specifics of THIS Mercury retrograde cycle. Mercury will retrograde backward from 04° Virgo to 21° Leo. This puts the stressors of this retrograde on the early mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) and late fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). The switchover from Fixed to Mutable signs can be viewed as the energy of relaxation, both of effort and intent. It’s important that we need both types of energy in our lives (both fixed/controlled and mutable/relaxed); this retrograde cycle is likely to bring up issues of imbalance between these two differing energy signatures. You may find yourself stuck on one side of this equation (all relaxed and unable to accomplish anything or all fixed and unable to stand down).

Mercury will interact with all of our other personal planets (the Sun, Moon, and Venus through conjunction and Mars in sextiles), which shows that this retrograde will take on a more personal nature. Although we experience Mercury’s retrogrades 3-4 times a year, not all of them pack as much punch as others. This Mercury cycle will be inside our homes and likely impact our daily lives and our interactions with our Others.

Additionally, Mercury will make three trines to Chiron in Aries (sitting on top of that touchy point from our total solar eclipse back in April) and three squares to Uranus in Taurus. Unlike our personal planet aspects, these don’t influence our personal lives as directly, but they will impact the general energy of the world at large, which sometimes can trickle into our personal lives. [Note here that if you have personal planets that interact in aspect with these Mercury-Uranus and Mercury-Chiron moments, this may impact you personally.]

Let’s start with Chiron because it’s the energy we’ve already stewed in. Chiron isn’t one of the planets but an asteroid that has caught the interest of many astrologers in recent years. Often called the Wounded Healer, it represents a pain point or an unhealed wound. Back in April, we experienced a Mercury retrograde that coincided with our eclipse season, and during the total solar eclipse, the Sun was conjunct with both Mercury and Chiron. This was a whopper of a day that many people are still reeling from. Although Chiron has kept moving, it is still only 4° from this fate-filled spot. That means that, to a greater or lesser degree, each connection between Mercury and Chiron is another chance for us to revisit this energy.

“Revisit,” being one of the big re’s, is one of the keywords to understanding Mercury retrograde lessons. We are being given a chance to revisit, revise, rework, and reimagine. With Chiron involved, it’s likely to hurt (at least at first). It may feel like too much. But its worth remembering that Chiron isn’t something that happens TO you, it is considered to be a force of strong healing energy working FOR you.

It’s also worth remembering that Mercury will pass over this point with Chiron three times: once in forward motion during its pre-retrograde shadow, a second while moving backward in retrograde, and a third time in forward motion during its post-retrograde shadow.

Newsflash: you don’t have to get it right the first time through.

A common metaphor for imagining retrograde cycles is as a lesson or “hole” in the ground with which we must fall in/pass over/encounter trice to gain the full experience of the situation.

The story unfolds something like this:

Oh, there’s a hole in the ground! I fell into it because I didn’t know that it was there. It’s not my fault. (pre-retrograde shadow phase)

Oh, there’s a hole in the ground. I fell into it again. I did know it was there…maybe I should learn to avoid this hole? (retrograde phase)

And, if all goes well: Oh hey, that’s a hole in the ground! It’s the same hole I fell into before. I know how to walk around this now. (post-retrograde phase)

If the solar eclipse in April passed by uneventfully, you may find that this Mercury-Chiron set of trines also does. If the eclipse was especially difficult, consider this a chance to gain better insight into what happened and why. We can re-frame these transits to be for our own good by being open to the experiences of Mercury’s underworld journeys.

Lastly, we should discuss Mercury square Uranus. Mercury and Uranus have a lot in common—they both involve and control our brain processes to a certain point. If Mercury is the thinking brain, Uranus can be viewed as pure inspiration. Mercury is quick-moving and changeable; Uranus is slow-moving but enacts drastic and lasting change. Many modern astrologers view Uranus as the higher octave of Mercurial energy; it is Mercury’s energy infused with the beyond.

For the most part, Uranus’s energy simply happens to us. It is the lightning bolt in the Tower card, the hurricane that washes away a whole floodplain, or the volcano that awakens to bring destruction and rebirth. What I mean by this is that it is so far beyond us that it can often feel catastrophic, but – like the eclipses – Uranus has a way of blowing open opportunities that we couldn’t even have imagined. We are all stuck little humans who don’t like to change our own lives and sometimes something beyond us seems to reach down and make that change FOR us so that we are forced to move.

We don’t get a choice in what happens to us in situations like this, but we do get a choice in how we respond.

Two out of these three Mercury square Uranus days are full moons, which puts extra emphasis on their energy signatures. On one of these two days (8/19), the Sun in Leo will be conjunct to Mercury and also square to Uranus in Taurus, making a fixed t-square in the sky. Of the three days, this is the one to watch out for and potentially lie low through. The other two dates are days to encourage divine inspiration if that is your thing.

Watch out for how you speak during these rough squares, as misunderstandings will run rampant, and tempers may be at an all-time low. Uranus is never a patient planet, but in Taurus, it can become a raging bull in about six seconds flat. Give yourself and your others as much grace as you can during this time. Shut your mouth entirely, perhaps, and work on listening (something Mercury in egoic Leo definitely can have a problem with at times).

Any time a retrograde bridges the cusp between signs, you can guess that we will need to dig deep into the differences between the two signs somehow. Virgo is our mutable earth sign, often concerned with work, perfectionism, and effort. Leo is our fixed fire sign, more likely to be the lazy lion basking in the sun while the gruntlings do the work. Remember here, there is no judgment on these energies: there is a time to do the work and a time to bask in the Sun. The problem comes into play when you only do one and not the other.

Standard Mercury retrograde warnings apply:

Technology tends to go a bit wonky, so save your work often and proofread twice before you hit send on an important document. Mercury retrograde is considered the ideal time to edit: reread, rewrite, rework. Travel will take twice as long and almost inevitably involve detours—pack your patience and determination to enjoy the ride. If a person from your past shows up again, look into the unfinished business, but don’t expect it to last past Mercury stations direct. Mercury is a trickster: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

All that glitters is never gold during Mercury’s retrograde cycles, but Fool’s Gold can be its own reward.

The Details

7/16 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 21° Leo 7/18 – Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 7/21 – Full Moon 29° Capricorn, Mercury in Aries square Uranus in Taurus 7/25 – Mercury enters Virgo 8/5 – Mercury retrogrades 04° Virgo 8/8 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 03° Virgo 8/14 – Mercury enters Leo 8/18 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 26° Leo, Retrograde Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus 8/19 – Full moon 27° Aquarius , Sun conjunct Mercury 27° Aquarius 8/22 – Sun enters Virgo 8/23 – Retrograde Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 8/24 – Retrograde Mercury in Leo sextile Mars in Gemini 8/28 – Mercury stations direct 21°Leo 9/2 – New moon 11° Virgo, Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 9/7 – Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus 9/9 – Mercury enters Virgo 9/11 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 04° Virgo

Do you like my work? You can tip me over on Kofi, sign up to be a monthly supporter of my work or purchase an astrology commission. I have a limited number of spots open for personalized Mercury retrograde reports.

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics with no smut as requested in an ask that got lost somehow I'm so sorry! If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

🩵 forever is in your eyes by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(M, 125k, fantasy) “Jesus Christ.” He whispers, shaking his head and resisting the urge to brush the back of his hand against his lips, erase evidence that isn’t even visible to the naked eye. Harry stands there, as though nothing’s changed, and of course he does, because he’s a statue. A statue that Louis has just kissed.

🩵 Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics

(M, 113k, lighthouse au) As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

🩵 An Amazing Race Around the World (And to my Heart) by Thingssicant / @slowlyseducedbycurls

(E, 89k, enemies to lovers) Or an Amazing race Hate to Lovers au

🩵 Into the Weeds by kair0sclerosis / @night-is-a-feeling

(M, 87k, character study) With the help of the captivating bartender, Louis, who he can’t seem to stop daydreaming about, and his enchanting group of friends; Harry remembers what it is to be alive. This is a story about small-town secrets, found family, queer identities, and the battle between fight and flight.

🩵 Let Our Hearts Collide by @crinkle-eyed-boo

(M, 76k, While You Were Sleeping au) When Harry, a lonely transit worker, saves the life of the handsome commuter he's been secretly pining for, an innocent mistake results in Liam Payne's family believing that Harry is engaged to their son. In the Paynes, Harry finds the big family he's always longed for...and a love he never saw coming.

🩵 another dream but always you by you_explode / @nobodymoves

(M, 66k, famous/not famous) Harry is a Dreamwalker; he has the ability to visit people in their dreams and help put them on the right path. He's assigned to Louis, who's struggling after the break-up of his band.

🩵 Forget the Silent Nights by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 44k, roommates) Either way, the last Christmas with the seven of them in that broken old house on Redwood all together was probably one of the most memorable holidays each of them had, what with the wedding and the the snowstorm and the raccoons in their attic...And the baby they stole, of course.

🩵 Too Young To Know by @2tiedships2

(M, 35k, omegaverse) the one where Harry doesn’t present as an alpha… until he does.

🩵 All Out of Love by SunTomato / @sun-tomato

(G, 32k, cupid au) Harry is a Cupid, who work their magic on a different plane, invisible to humans.

🩵 Fuck You For Ruining New York City For Me by galactic_larry / @galacticlarry

(T, 11k, exes) Louis broke up with him in their New York apartment, so Harry left the city for good. Except now he’s back, visiting with his new boyfriend.

🩵 Does it Ever Drive You Crazy? (Just How Fast the Night Changes) by xx_soup_xx

(G, 7k, strangers to lovers) Baker Harry Styles takes it upon himself to get his mysterious grumpy customer, Louis Tomlinson, to like Christmas by taking him on a disastrous first date.

🩵 Girl Crush by Hopeless_blue

(T, 7k, strangers to lovers) He used to be so close to fulfilling his dreams when he participated in X-Factor. But that was four years ago, and now, on a rainy day, he wanders the streets looking for a pub where he could sing sometimes. Charming bartender Louis is ready to give him a shot...

🩵 Why Don’t We Start Writing The Story Of Us by red_panda28 / @red-pandaaa

(T, 6k, omegaverse) Alpha Louis and Omega Harry get off on the wrong foot, Louis has the worst timing, and Harry believes in second chances. Three times Louis asks Harry on a date and the one time Harry accepts

🩵 now i'm tracin' all my steps to you by @alwaysxlarrie

(T, 5k, 5 times fic) Of all the things Harry was prepared for this summer, Louis Tomlinson and his wonderful, wonderful scent isn't one of them. It probably shouldn't be as shocking as it is that it makes Harry want to nest.

🩵 Missed Connection by @kingsofeverything

(M, 3k, humor) Harry is absolutely clueless when it comes to figuring out if other guys are into him, so he enlists his friend Niall to assist. That may or may not be a mistake.

🩵 You & Me by @allwaswell16

(G, 3k, uni) Louis hasn't had much luck in love, so he decides to finally meet this boy his mother thinks is his match. As fate would have it, he encounters an intriguing stranger to confide in before he meets with destiny.

🩵 All The Way Home I'll Be Warm by @justanothershadeofblue

(T, 2k, friends to lovers) Harry & Louis jokingly send out holiday cards together as friends, and now everyone is congratulating them for finally getting together. A 5+1 fic, for Christmas.

🩵 skinny dip (in water under the bridge) by hazzahtomlinson / @itsnotreal

(G, 880 words, exes) It’s a Wednesday and nostalgia might just get the best of Louis.

- Rare Pairs -

🩵 I Go Down Blazing, Feeling Like I'm Going Crazy (series) by @lululawrence

(NR, 29k, Niall/RoryMcIlroy) the soulmates AU where Niall won't know who his soulmate is until his twenty-first birthday, but becoming friends with Rory McIlroy is a great distraction while he navigates fame and does his best to be patient.

🩵 Blind Date by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(G, 13k, ot5) Louis Tomlinson, model and aspiring actor, has been chosen to appear on Blind Date. The only problem is, all the contestants are wonderful. And so is the host. It's making things difficult.

[contemplatingoutlander]

Interesting proposal by Nate Loewentheil in a guest column in The New York Times. Not only was his proposal thought provoking, but two of the comments regarding it by readers were also worth contemplating. Below are some excerpts from the column, followed by the two comments.

Here is a proposal for the environmental movement: Pool philanthropic funds for a day, buy a small plot of land in Washington, D.C., and put up a tall marble wall to serve as a climate memorial. Carve on this memorial the names of public figures actively denying the existence of climate change. Carve the names so deep and large, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren need not search the archives. This is not a metaphor. The problem with climate change is the disconnect between action and impact. If politicians vote against construction standards and a school collapses, the next election will be their last. But with climate change, cause and effect are at a vast distance. We are already seeing the consequences of our past and present greenhouse gas emissions. In coming decades, those emissions will wreak their full havoc on the climate, and it will take hundreds, possibly thousands, of years for those pollutants to fully dissipate. But in the short term, the most immediate burdens are borne mostly by the poor in America and distant people in distant lands. Misaligned incentives are at the heart of why some political and business leaders deny and delay. [...] I would first nominate those who have sown confusion over climate science, like Myron Ebell, who recently retired as director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, where he sought to block climate change efforts in Congress, and served as the head of Donald Trump’s transition team for the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Ebell has argued that the idea that climate change is “an existential threat or even crisis is preposterous.” Then there are lawmakers who have consistently stood in the way of federal action, like the recently retired senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the author of the book “The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.” [color emphasis added]

Below is the first thought provoking comment to this article:

There is, in Iceland, a memorial to a dead glacier - the Ok Glacier. It reads: "Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it." [color emphasis added] --Chris D., Colorado

Photo of the plaque at the at the Okjökull (OK Glacier) memorial.

Here is the second thought provoking comment to this article:

For reference this graph https://i.redd.it/ljifc828iui31.jpg is from the Exxon internal scientific report on climate change, 1982, produced by scientists working for that fossil fuel corporation. Look at what their graph predicted for 2020. Approaching 420 ppm CO2 and a rise of 1.2 C degrees above pre-industrial temperature - very close to what we actually got in 2020. Then look at what the graph shows for later this century, based on not reducing emissions. Very serious temperature rises, that could make agriculture very difficult in many countries. Yes, and then Exxon, having seen this, got involved in PR campaigns to "cast doubt" on climate science, to protect their assets. [color emphasis added] --Erik Frederiksen, Ashville, NC

1982 Exxon graph depicting average global temperature increases over time correlating with increases in atmospheric CO2. NOTE: Graph color was modified for greater clarity.

Fossil fuel companies like Exxon, and fossil fuel oligarchs like the Koch brothers should be included in any "Climate Wall of Shame."

[b1acksh33p999]

Soul development + Predictive astrology:

NN rules the themes and direction of your soul’s development and growth. When using predicative astrology to see where you are currently developing- it’s best to track how your natal NN aspects via transit, everyone will experience these aspects at least once in their lifetime; how we respond, and develop during these transits will directly manifest our future lives.

Once a year

Transit Sun conjunct Natal NN: this transit happens approximately once a year, and lasts about one month. Energetic effects of this aspect can prove to be a time where things happen which feel karmic or out of our control. When transit Sun exemplifies the energy of your natal NN, this pushes forth the messages from the subconscious about what exactly needs to change in order to reach inner fulfillment. This much conscious, internalized self awareness can cause transformations to be pushed into your daily life in order to align you with opportunities to learn the lessons meant for you to face at that time.

Before the first Saturn return this can prove to be times of pivotal personality shifts, and building blocks to emotional development, and style of communication. This is also a time where one can feel consequences of isolation if they actively choose to be avoidant of the required behavioral changes necessary to further healthy development.

After your first Saturn return- this will become a period in the year where you may feel universal tests to prove your alignment with the higher self, or even times where you are on the receiving end of gifts, surprises, or karmic situations involving new tests of growth. Annually this will be a checkpoint time frame- checking in that you’ve maintained growth and changes made during first Saturn return, while also open to opportunities for further soul development.

As you approach your second Saturn return this will become a heightened period of possible success and fulfillment- this will display as a major shift in one’s desired to “finish what they started,” or play catch up on any lost desires, dreams, or lost goals; this is why many people will decide to buy into luxury, leave toxic relationships, move locations, change careers, or anything that would otherwise be known as “out of character” for their typical behavior, and choice’s.

Once aligned with the path of the NN and balanced properly- this will become a period of blessings, joy, and fulfillment; although it’s a sad reality that many people struggle with matters of the NN because these matters have been constantly pushed upon the placement holder over their lifetime, when their comfort zone naturally aligns more with the traits, and methods help in the opposing sign.

This is why balance is the most desired skill to hone in order to achieve the humbled, self awareness required to see through the correct perspective that would align you with the easiest route to learn what your soul is meant to develop.

Transit Moon conjunct natal NN: this happens approximately once a month for 3 days- this can be accounted for times in the month you may notice old wounded emotions or situations resurfacing; insecurities, old trauma being triggered through daily encounters, weird dreams, feeling more tired then usual, or dealing with turbulent emotional situations, or circumstances.

As you find the correct balance of your needs, and present circumstances then continually put work towards goals found within the midpoint; this transit will feel more comfortable, and introspective instead of invasive.

Transit Mercury conjunct natal NN: this happens approximately once a year in all 12 signs, (not accounting for Mercury Retrogrades that happen typically 3-4 times a year/ in different signs/ dependent on the year); once it lands into a sign, it will stay in transit for about 2-3 weeks. When Mercury is conjunct natal NN in transit this can result in communication mishaps, issues, or trials; core memories made towards building one’s connection with communication style; balancing between internal thoughts, and vocalized expression.

Those who have a comfortable form of creative expression, or art can facilitate the focal spike during this transition to create legendary pieces, break into an industry, or align their focus back onto their craft in order to feel the muse effect of this aspect. If this transit ever happens to cross harmonious aspects to Moon, Venus, Jupiter, or Neptune this will heighten its emotive effects while pushing the aspect holder to embrace growth.

If Mercury conjunct NN happens with a harmonious aspect to Pluto- transformation will be embraced by the aspect holder, even if they were resistant when the transit began; if there is a hard aspect to Pluto during this transit that may prove to display as personalized avoidance, or resistance to change necessary for further soul development, and growth.

It’s important to note that these aspects all predict the natural energy present in our energetic field, and how that may cause your natural frequency to be affected. This is NOT something that is meant to make the decision of an outcome for you, instead it’s about instructing you on what to expect so you know how to properly perceive these changes and get ahead of any possible mishaps. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not possible, in fact, it’s the things you work hard to achieve and maintain that you will never lose. A secret to the universe is the knowing that what you put your energy into will continue to expand.

Transit Venus conjunct NN: this happens approximately every 1-1.5 years depending on retrogrades every other year. When natal NN is critical to transit Venus- this is a window of time allotted for that person to reevaluate, readdress, and redesign your values, priorities, relationship, and role within your family dynamic to fit the needs of your higher self.

If the person being affected by the transit is stuck in self loathing, pity, martyrdom, reckless behavior; or outdated relationships and priorities this can display in chaotic, highly volatile situations that can cause adverse emotional effects, causing the person to feel set back or excluded from their surroundings.

More on Venus Return’s:

Once you reach your first Venus return after birth, (approximately 8 years after birth), the unique characteristics of the one’s creative endeavors, personality, interests, and perspective on life develop further and are easily distinguished as attributes of an individual.

This is a time when children will find interests, and hobbies that are unlike the direct influence of parents; while marking the beginning of that individuals values, passions, love style, and the first trial with the relationship with self.

Until the first Venus return after one’s first Saturn Return, the personal definitions of love, values, family values, passions continues to develop through the process of trial and error. This can seem turbulent, or unstable; however, it’s just a part of growing up.

In astrology it’s explained that many children are more connected to their south node during childhood, only to connect with their NN as they age; which is almost like the universal grand designs way of allotting time for the joy of exploring the world and yourself during childhood.

Once in a lifetime, or more!

Transit Mars conjunct NN: (takes approximately 2 years to cycle 12 signs)[1-2 months per sign]

-This is a time when energy level, and ambitions increase which causes opportunities for alignment to fall directly into the persons lap. This can display as increased motivation, making big changes or shifts to realign with higher purpose, and normally an increase in wealth, and success. This can also be a time of increased efforts into physical appearance, or transformations; however if the person can manage these changes after the transit ends will determine true growth.

Transit Jupiter conjunct NN: (takes approximately 12 years to cycle)[1 year per sign]

⁃ this is a period of time that will allow your talents to shine while also showing the aspect holder exactly what stands in their way of success. This is a fruitful, and abundant time, yet can be viewed as emotionally and financially turbulent when viewed in hindsight.

⁃ What is shown now is what strengths you have that others desire; at the same time that you are shown the worst in human connection in order to grow thicker skin so they will be able to thrive in any environment going forward.

⁃ The most important lesson to take from this transit is to connect with the areas, and skills that make you special, while understanding your baseline priority of protecting your space, and energy from those who only want to leech from you.

Transit Saturn conjunct NN: (take’s approximately 30 years to cycle)[2.5 per sign]

Transit Chiron conjunct NN: (50 years approximately to cycle) [1.5-8 years] <— retrogrades can account for extreme differences in Chiron cycles.

Only some will have these/advanced development

Transit Uranus conjunct NN: (takes approximately 84 years to cycle)[7 years per sign]

Transit Neptune conjunct NN: (approximately 165 years to cycle)[14 years per sign]

Transit Pluto conjunct NN: (approximately 248 years to cycle) [14-30 years/per sign]

More on this to come! To be continued…

[cyraclove]

sunshine, blue eyes [Rated M]

Eddie unexpectedly comes to Chrissy’s rescue when Jason and his friends decide to pull a mean prank on her at the pool.

dirty work [Rated E]

A middle-aged Chrissy and Eddie make good use of their empty house while their teenaged children are gone. Chrissy takes advantage of Eddie being handy around the house.

scratching at the outlines of you [Rated E]

A direct sequel to mixing drinks and messages. Eddie and Chrissy navigate their new situationship turned relationship. Chrissy runs into a familiar face at Eddie’s bar.

still awake, playing chase with the sunrise [Rated T]

The Party hunkers down at Eddie's trailer to map out their battle plan. Max witnesses Eddie and Chrissy share a moment in the kitchen while everyone else is asleep.

the feeling in it [Rated E]

Eddie and Chrissy are in their 40s, watching their two teenagers go to prom and wondering where the time went.

lick the fuzz right off the peach [Rated E]

Chrissy asks Eddie about a certain activity they've yet to try. His head explodes.

mixing drinks and messages [Rated E]

At Robin and Nancy's suggestion, Chrissy tries her hand at Tinder after dumping Jason for the sole purpose of having a one night stand. When her date stands her up, the Chicago Transit Authority takes fate into its own hands.

honeycomb [Rated E]

Chrissy stumbles upon Eddie and another classmate alone in the woods. She knows she shouldn't, but she can't help but stay and watch.

and all my ghosts are with me [Rated M]

Chrissy copes with her grief after Eddie sacrifices himself to help The Party defeat Vecna. El and Max show up on the day of his funeral with news that no one can believe.

wishing, wanting, yours for the taking [Rated E]

After following doctor's orders for six weeks, Chrissy starts getting antsy about getting back into bed with Eddie after having their first baby. An unexpected change sparks something new for the both of them.

small hours [Rated E]

Eddie never thought that he could be a morning person until moving in with Chrissy. There's just something magical about Chrissy in the morning...

dénouement [Rated E, In-Progress]

It’s 1998 and Chrissy is starting her second year as a professor at Indiana State University. An unexpected connection with a new transfer student taking her Eroticism in Literary Fiction class throws her for a loop.

my little bit of something blue [Rated E, Complete]

Chrissy and Eddie reconnect after graduating from high school when asked to be members of Jonathan and Nancy's wedding party.

angels in the architecture [Rated E, Complete]

Since falling in love in high school, Chrissy and Eddie’s paths have diverged and they’ve been living very separate lives. Ten years later, they meet again by chance at a Christmas party thrown by a notable Chicago socialite, the choices that they’ve made coming along with them.

the light, the heat [Rated E, Complete]

What might have happened if Chrissy had lived and the Hawkins crew had to drive to Nevada to find El. One getaway motel mix-up later, Chrissy and Eddie come face to face with the feelings they've been trying to ignore.

[makingspiritualityreal]

hello, i hope you're doing well. i would like to know what's the difference between having a stellium of personal planets (sun, mercury, venus, etc.) in the 7th house from the ascendant vs in the 7th house from the moon. is it just that the first happens in the physical level while the other is on the emotional level? thank you, have a good day

Counting from the Moon vs Counting from the Ascendant

Whatever is happening on a physical level is also happening on an emotional level and vice versa.

We are entering two completely seperate subjects here. One is looking at aspects withing your own chart, one is looking at the Vedic theory of looking at transits as per aspecting not just counting from the ascendant but from the Moon also. Again, this is relevant to TRANSITS, not interplanetary aspects within your own chart. I personally tend to prioritise the ascendant, but it is true that the whole "houses from the Moon" situation has real weight to it when it comes to bigger transits.

The first question can be answered easily. ANY planet 7th from ANY planet has weight, because it aspects it directly. It's like walking through life with this planet as a mirror in front of you. So 7th house from the ascendant is something you're going to see projected externally and then have to integrate into your understanding of your life path, even if you have no planets in the ascendant. But any planet 7 houses from any planet will naturally integrate these planets into each others consciousness. 7th aspect is the strongest thing you can observe in the chart, except for a conjunction, or planets simply sitting in the same sign.

You focused on the Moon, but really it will be the same for every planet. Any planet 7th from Mercury, Venus etc will be integrated into this planet's consciousness and they will operate in tandem.

Now onto the second question, which is Vedic theory concerning transits counted both from the Moon and the ascendant. In reality, we are more of a blend of those reactions. Looking at things like this gives your chart even more uniqueness, simply based on your Moon sign relative to the ascendant.

I personally like to explain this concept using Saturn, although it will work with any major transit. Saturn forces you to reexamine a given area of your life by house transit, so it kind of hits "the pause button" on its functioning, not because it removes it from your life but because you're doing spring cleaning. How that is going to work, and how you will feel about it will depend on the Moon's perception.

Right now, Transit Saturn is in Pisces, but I will give you a more vivid description from the Saturn in Aquarius transit relative to my chart. It happened to be my Saturn return, but most importantly it happened to be Saturn transiting my 4th house because I'm a Scorpio Rising. At the same time, Saturn was transiting 8th houses from my Moon, because I'm a Cancer Moon. So the whole transit is going to have a blend of 4th and 8th house influence, in a Saturnian way of course.

Saturn was making its first dip into Aquarius in the mid-2020, and then it dipped back into Capricorn until settling in Aquarius for good in December 2020. For me, due to the 4th house influence, this was related to family and family roots. When Saturn first touched Aquarius in early 2020, my grandfather, the last person alive that I was really close to in my family got complications from his years of cancer battling and ultimately passed away. By the time Saturn was back in Aquarius at the end of 2020, I knew I needed a change. The whole process was incredibly difficult for me, and the change was massive, due to the 8th house transit from the Moon. The 8th house is where we revolutionise things because they aren't working. I first tried to make the change withing the remaining family and do right by the situation, despite my personal strain and resentment towards them. They made it impossible and just hurt me extra in the process, which really just made our rift deeper and forced me to consider other avenues in life. Naturally, it was traumatic because I just lost the little family I had. At the time, I also already knew my current husband. He has invited me to live with him in the USA before, but I argued and instead urged him to come be with me and my family in Europe. We had a back and forth about this for the longest time, and it lasted almost the entirety of this transit, we argued a lot because neither of us wanted to move from our position. I made many attempts at fixing things with my family one last time, but they rebuffed me and blocked all my attempts at anything positive, even things that anyone else would logically do to secure the next generation's future (and to my knowledge it still hasn't been fixed to this day, years after, even though I barely talk to my family now). Ultimately, since it's a waste of time and impossible to predict when the situation might change enough for me to be able to do anything, I gave it up as hopeless and moved abroad to live with my husband. Since Saturn has moved on to Pisces into the 5th and 9th, I focused more on my self expression and personal happiness in marriage.

If my Moon was in a different sign, I probably would have felt different about the whole situation, but Saturn 8th houses from the Moon was very painful for me. So here you can see how Saturn relative to the ascendant created the external situation, but the Moon shows how the process went and what the person's reaction to it was.

[asexualspectrumspector]

hey guuuuiiyyyyssss idk if this is the right place to ask but my frie d just got broken up with and she keeps tlaking about how nothing is worth it ajymore because she doesnt have her boyfriend not in a suicidal way but just like 'i dont even wanna do [whatever thing] anymore because i was always shoeing hum and making him things and now i cant do that anymore' and its upsetting me because i understand shes just heartbroken and in a sore spot but at the same time it reallt hurts me because its just a reminder that even though ive been her best friend for iver five years i will always and forever come second to whatever boyfriend comes in her path no matter how hard she will insist thatd not true

nd again i know shes just grieving her relationship but its also so hard for me to not react to this ajd not be hurt by her comments so idk i guess this is part rant and part does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this

Honestly, I've been here. Before my best friend got married to her current partner, she had a string of boyfriends and they always seemed to be prioritized when we made plans. I won't lie. It's hard. It's so hard, because they don't see the difference, but we do. We want them to be happy and live their best life, but it's difficult when it feels like that best life involves cutting you out to a degree.

There are some options, like talking to her about how you're feeling and asking her to really listen. But it all comes down to this one simple thing: people and relationships change as we age. It takes work to keep friendships or any kind of relationship going long term, because the kind of relationship you started with might not be sustainable 5 or 10+ years down the road.

For your particular situation, it might involve a talk, planning time together, and/or simply just being there for her as she goes through this. You could try redirecting her when she gets too mopey about her ex (trying to transition to a different conversation topic). But all in all, it's gonna take patience.

I wish you (and your friend) the best of luck.

[mbti-notes]

Hi! INFP. If I'm making mistakes and feel a little discouraged on the spot, but later always get back to motivating myself to try again knowing I will eventually get it, is it healthy? I've been doing the exact opposite for years, giving up every time I seemed really bad at something (and as a consequence never really developing an area I was really good in, despite having so many interests) and yesterday I was rereading your guide about healthy INFPs being able to "not feel inadequate every time they make a mistake". So is this a good sign? How do I know if it is? What if I'm just deluding myself at every mistake because I'd really like this thing to work out, but on a practical level it's way too out of my reach and not really my area? And if that's the case, what do you think I should do? Change? Switch to something else, again?

Allow me to ask a serious question: Does it sound appealing to you to have the whole of life all set out for you in advance, so that you never ever have to make any big or tough decisions about what to do with yourself?

If that's the kind of life you want, then my suggestion is to join a cult or move to a political dictatorship. However, I suspect that once you were there, you'd regret the decision. Why? Because humans aren't meant to live under that sort of psychological confinement, that is, if they hope for life to be interesting and fulfilling.

The price of living a free life is uncertainty. You can accept the cost gracefully and keep chugging along, or you can waste precious time and energy in a state of denial, anxiety, or depression. It is the fact of not knowing the future that makes your decisions real and your life experiences meaningful.

The way you're framing the question reveals a few problems in your thought process. First, it shows that your self-worth was or still is too tied up with the concept of "ability". Do you believe that people who can't learn/perfect a skill are automatically trash? Do not conflate human worth with intellectual competence or else you will never have healthy self-esteem. Skill building is simply about growth, via the realization of your potential. It should not be about proving your worth.

Second, your perspective is far too small and limiting. You seem to be assuming that there is always a right answer as to which path to take, or that there is only one right choice to make when it comes to living life well. Neither is the case.

Whether you take the "right" path is largely dependent on what you aspire to in life. But what you aspire to can change as you travel along and change as a person with each stage of life. Every available path has its advantages and disadvantages. Every available path closes certain doors but also opens up new ones. It is not a question of whether the path you chose was the "right" one, rather, it is a question of whether the path you're choosing is leading you in a direction you need or want to go.

Whether you make the "right" choices is largely dependent on how you attend to questions of morality and well-being. But this can waver based on what you're learning (or not learning, as the case may be) from your life experiences. Every choice you make will carry benefits and costs. It is not a question of whether the choice is the "right" one in any absolute sense, rather, it is a question of whether the benefits continue to be worth the cost you're paying, either financially, physically, psychologically, socially, morally, spiritually, etc.

If, at any point, you discover that your path isn't leading you to a good place, or that a choice you made is becoming too costly, you are free to make a change. It is neither a crime nor a defeat to change. Actually, it is during the periods of transition that human beings learn the most valuable knowledge for personal growth. Whether or not you are "deluding" yourself is not really the important point. Delusion actually serves a purpose in human psychology because it reveals important information about you, e.g, your needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. Delusion isn't something to be feared but something to be mined for wisdom.

Every step you take in life is essential in the long and winding journey of self-becoming. This includes all the mistakes. Treating yourself like trash for making mistakes is how you end up trapped in toxic shame. Accept and appreciate the fact that you're a human being and humans need to make mistakes in order to learn and grow.

The ideas I've just outlined in this post should be easily understood through healthy Fi+Ne. Fi accepts and respects whatever it takes for an individual to be authentic and true. Ne doesn't see the world in absolutes and has no use for oversimplified categorical thinking like "good/bad" or "right/wrong". If that's how you, as an INFP, understand the world, it reveals a troubling influence of unhealthy and destructive Te.

There's a distinct lack of healthy Ne in your thought process, why is that? Healthy Ne doesn't think in terms of right/wrong paths because it can easily find something of value in ANY path. Healthy Ne doesn't think in terms of good/bad decisions because it can easily discover potential and improve ANY situation. When you have that sort of faith in yourself to adapt, as well as that level of trust in the world to always provide possibility for forward momentum, there is no need to ask your question, is there?

[duraxxor]

Harken ye wary soul, to the depths of the yesteryear. To the time before the monster and man. Who was he? What was he? How did he come to be what he is?

Come forth blooded one, show us who you really are.

Deep within the Sanctum of Solitude, the Lord stirred at his desk where he had chosen to often answer so many questions for his curious, little shadows. As of late, they had been quiet but not completely silent. There was one in particular that had tickled his hairs on the back of his neck. One of which possessed far more depth that he needed to think upon. A consultation of one’s inner self if you would. Scribbled on a note, the interest was placed upon him. Ashen lips began to read it off with amusement. 

“Harken ye weary soul, to the depths of yesteryear. To the time before the monster and man. Who was he? What was he? How did he come to be what he is? “The reciting twisted with a hint of laughter within his lungs. “Come forth blooded one, show us who you really are. “

The scribbled parchment was laid upon the treated, aged wood with care. Gloved talons carefully receding back into the darkness that shrouded his figure. Crimson glints peered off towards yonder as he kept his thoughts silent for just a moment. A gruff chuckle escaped him as he finally decided that it was time to answer this inquiry on his identity. 

“Quite the hungry one, are we? Though, in the simplest answer I may provide, you have already answered your own question. I have always been a man and monster. From the day I was born all the way to this very second you draw breath. “The lanterns of red seemed to tilt a certain way before a faint, hissing sigh was administered. “But I am certain that will not sate your appetite, will it? “

THWOMP!

Out of nowhere, a hunting dagger was jabbed into the old parchment dead center. The crimson eyes seemed to vanish just before they realized that on the end of the Thalassian designed blade was being held not by the hand of a child. The silhouette in the dark seemed to have dropped in height. Within those shadows, two azure eyes opened, staring vividly in towards the curious ones. 

“What is it most mortals start off as? “The voice had changed, striking a lighter pitch. An unaltered tone of youth. The sound is awaiting to bud into maturity in the years to come. Harsh years that were already seen in the span of merely a few decades. “Innocence. Ignorance. Dependence. Envious. Oh yes, most envious! “The young giggled, allowing it to repeatedly echo through the space. The twin jewels in the night turned wayward with the snap of a tiny, bony neck. Their hues seem to transition to a blue green. 

“The correct answer is a child. A young boy. Bastardized son of a mother. Cursed child with a scar. Troublemaker. Hehehehe… “The turquoise eyes went half-lidded as another giggle from his lips. The child-like hand now drags the blade of his knife across the table, carving a jagged line across it in a slow manner. But after a moment of giggling, everything came to a halt as the dagger approached the edge. A memory tickled his throat, bringing his eyes to grow into wide saucers.

“... A friend. I was a friend to one. One that wasn’t ripped from me as some before her. One that I would one day call my wife. “Once more, those eyes closed halfway, shaking left to right as indicated in their animations. “... You know, children are a lot like the Durian fruit. They can make one reel like the stench of hot garbage, but most of them are actually sweet on the inside like a caramel custard. It is their raising that leads them down the path to rotting on the inside. It is a gradual decay that festers and makes the most bitter, jealous creatures. “ 

The handheld dagger finally slipped into the veils of shadows once more, leaving nothing more than a sliced paper that was slowly turning into shavings, fine like sawdust. Something about it wasn’t quite right. Why would a slice cause it to break down into the original substance it was composed of in the lumber mill? 

“You referred to me as a blooded one? “The voice continued in its child-like manner, seeming to fall into a bittersweet tone. “That day was quite the bloodsport, wasn’t it? The day everything changed. A mother’s love stolen. A friend was abandoned. The life of a drunkard reaped. And a boy painted in crimson. That would not be the last time that child was made to paint. Wolves would not relent. And I am not referring to just the fuzzy ones. Hungry beasts take on the form of man. A man often has a bottomless stomach in their greed. “ 

The child grew solemn, eyes turning a sickly green. Their stance looked almost sorrowful in the slanted shape. “… I envy you all. You all have titles and belongings thrusted upon you. I had nothing. I devoured the fear and bile in my heart. The betrayals I had been given at birth. I am a Monster. Get that through your brains, you numbskulls. “Another cacophonous case of giggles escaped his throat, this time twisting in their octave as the sound of bone and sinew squelched. His laughter winding into a wheezing that threatened to snuff out his last breath, hacking and coughing up a lung as those glows of his eyes suddenly vanished into the night. 

The conversation grew silent. The mass behind the desk seems to return to its familiar shape. The azure glow slowly returned in a similar fashion to the crimson edition. They possessed a softness. A calm. A collection of variations if you would. And from within the darkness, a gloved hand reached forth and began to grasp the wooden dust between the ends of his pointer and thumb finger. The Lord’s voice billowed, "I hope you still have an appetite, dear shadow. Because there is more to the story. For my story does know of more love, sorrow, and anger in the various years to come. My return to the world was one paved on blood and stone, but not without an attempt to have reason. And that reason for the abandoned friend that I would call my wife. Stealing her from the hands of hungry wolves may have painted a target on my back, but they know of nothing more than under the table cowardice. And rest assured… they will all right the wrongs they have committed. In time. “ 

Fragments of the disenchanted note fell from his fingers like grains of sand in an hourglass, rejoining the pile below. “I became a man. A husband. A soldier. And eventually… a father of two. “And then it hit him, causing him to repeat another statement. “You referred to me as a blooded one. Perhaps you are even more accurate than you anticipated? Blood seems to follow me wherever I may walk. Perhaps my state of being is simply a punishment? For I had stolen the lives of those that were declared an enemy to another. Trained to be a weapon in the shadows that does not look back once the dagger is plummeted into the heart of the issue. If only I had chosen to not walk into that frigid war that time ago. “ 

There was regret in his words. The blue in his eyes faded in the recesses of his sockets. What remained of the light that was blessed upon the desk also slipped away. The spotlight came to a close and with it, the show was over. But you know what they say with every show? There must always be an encore. 

“Am I Alphus? Am I Duraxxor? Am I the White Lynx? Am I the Lord Myotis? The Faceless? A child? A man? A monster? “His words echoed in the chambers of nothingness. And when his words ceased to exist, he would leave the audience with a parting gift to think upon. “The correct answer is... All the Above. “

[[ Soft mentions of @arrydhalia for a tags]]

[elminx]

Energy Update: Mercury Retrograde, Nov-Dec 2024

Starting on November 25, Mercury enters its fourth and final retrograde of 2024. The retrograde runs from 22° to 06° Sagittarius and makes thrice repeating aspects with Jupiter in Gemini, Saturn in Pisces, and Chiron in Aries. Mercury will also conjunct the Sun (as it does every retrograde) and trine retrograde Mars in Leo.

The Basics

Mercury, our planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades three to four times every year. This means that Mercury’s retrograde cycle is “business as usual” and isn’t something that should be feared but it is a change in the energy signature of one of our personal planets, so it’s worth paying attention and making adjustments where necessary.

Retrogrades don’t mean that the planet ACTUALLY is moving backward, of course. It is a perspective shift in our perception of the planetary movement through our skies. In this way, our perspectives and perceptions can get a bit twisted during these times and it is easy to miss key details or communicate ineffectively.

During Mercury’s retrograde, Mercury traces its path backward in our skies and it is considered better to go over your work rather than start something new. Mercury passes over these degrees in the sky thrice: the first time during its pre-retrograde shadow, the second time while it moves backward during its retrograde, and again a third time while it moves forward in its post-retrograde shadow. Because of this, we all get the cosmic opportunity to relearn and refocus on certain things that are going awry in our lives.

By looking at the degrees of Mercury’s retrograde and comparing it to your birth chart, you can understand how Mercury’s retrograde cycle might affect you. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you can always purchase a Mercury retrograde transit chart from me on Kofi.

Mercury retrogrades affect some people more than others. By order of significance, these people are most likely to be affected by a Mercury retrograde:

If you have Sun, Moon, Ascendant in Gemini and Virgo, or Mercury closely conjunct (within 2°) to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant

If your natal Mercury was in retrograde or out of bounds

If the current retrograde crosses over your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant (in conjunction) or makes a square or opposition

If the current retrograde crosses over your Mercury, Venus, or Mars or makes a square or opposition with them

If the current retrograde makes a trine with one of your personal planets or a sextile to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant

If you work in a job that involves technology, communication, or travel or are currently undergoing a task that involves one of these domains during this retrograde cycle

If you live with, are in a relationship with, or closely work with a person who meets the above criteria

One can assume that the more of these factors in play, the stronger you may experience the effects of a Mercury retrograde cycle. This isn’t to say that what you experience will be bad or wrong – some people experience a lot of freedom from Mercury’s journey. The more open you are willing to give up control and stay open to the ever-changing landscape of a Mercury cycle, the easier it will be.

The Nitty Gritty

Now that we’ve reviewed the basics let’s look at the specifics of THIS Mercury retrograde cycle. Mercury will retrograde backward from 22°-06° Sagittarius. Sagittarius is our mutable fire sign. Overall, it is concerned with higher education, big thinking, luck, and travel – all aspects that fall within the domain of Jupiter, its planetary ruler. Jupiter is currently in the sign of its exile, Gemini. Interestingly, Sagittarius is also the sign of Mercury’s exile. Gemini and Sagittarius are 7-7 Sun Sing opposites, which is a fancy way of saying that they sit in opposition with one another on the horoscope wheel. This interplay between Mercury and Jupiter – both in the other’s home signs – will play out strongly during this retrograde.

Jupiter is our cosmic cheerleader; it wants to go big and never go home. The problem with its placement in Gemini is that Gemini has endless rabbit holes and diversions for Jupiter to fall into; not only can Jupiter not go home (something that it strives towards), but it can also become hopelessly lost in the labyrinthian double-mind of the twins. This is further exasperated by Jupiter’s ongoing retrograde. We are already distracted by this before Mercury even begins their regularly scheduled shenanigans. Luck isn’t on our side right now because luck isn’t on anybody’s side.

Mercury and Gemini, the sign it naturally rules (along with Virgo), rely on luck an awful lot. They need luck to access what they know out of the scattered filing system so that they speak the right things and they need luck to be believed (or at least given the benefit of the doubt) when they are speaking nonsense that might prove to be true at a later date. I do not mean to belittle Gemini here; they are just mutable air – the essence of pure thought. Not every idea is a good idea, and Gemini doesn’t discriminate. That is one of their best and worst qualities.

And the only sign that relies on luck more than Gemini is Sagittarius. They are cosmic opposites, after all, which any good astrologer can tell you means that they are actually quite similar. Sagittarius is mutable fire – pure inspiration. Sagittarius often seems to have been born to leap before they look. And trust me, the universe (or whatever you want to call it) catches them many times more than seems reasonable.

These two signs are front and center to this retrograde, and both are at a disadvantage. (roll twice, take the worse result – IYKYK)

There are a couple of ways of looking at what is about to happen between Mercury and Jupiter over the next two months (58 days if we’re being exact):

Luck will be iffy, so I should shore up some for a rainy day. Luck is out for lunch, so I should eat elsewhere too. Luck has gone haywire; I can use this.

Neither is right or wrong; a lot depends on your comfort with luck streams and how much you rely on them. Whatever you choose, this will have a particular effect on our lives. When Mercury retrograde makes our vision blurry, and we’re out of luck, we should watch for opportunities that look too easy. Both Gemini and Sagittarius are known for taking the easy road to their detriment. All that glitters is definitely not gold during this time, and you should be wary of the golden-tongued swindler. Check the fine print before you agree to anything during this time.

The days in question where Mercury will oppose retrograde Jupiter in Gemini: 11/18 during Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow, 12/04 during Mercury’s retrograde, and on 12/26 during Mercury’s post-retrograde shadow. Because Mercury and Jupiter are in each other’s native signs, this will be in effect through the next sixty days, but it will appear the strongest around these dates.

Mercury in Sagittarius will also square Saturn in Pisces three times, once when Saturn is retrograde and twice after it has stationed direct during our Taurus full moon on 11/15. Saturn can be seen as the opposite of Jupiter—where Jupiter is constantly expanding, Saturn contracts. Saturn holds fate, time, and consequence within its portfolio. I don’t mean the whimsical tit-for-tat fate of modern Western mysticism; I mean the type of fate that is unavoidable and determined by being alive in a particular place at a specific time. Saturn holds the fated consequences of aging and eventually dying – both in ourselves, our others, and in every living thing that we share breath with. This is why Saturn is often called the Greater Malefic because time is relentless and unending. On a long enough timeline, everything turns to dust. On a long enough timeline, beauty fades. On a long enough timeline, everything that ever was is undone.

In a way, we can view youth as Jupiter who says “Let’s do it all!” and Saturn as our late twenty-something who comes to the realization that choices must be made because there will never be enough time.

Its worth noting that Jupiter and Saturn will be moving ever closer to exact square with one another through this retrograde (exact on 12/24 in close t-square with retrograde Mercury). This is going to make the days on and around this event (including Christmas proper) tense and dramatic. Where Jupiter says push, Saturn grunts Pull, which will likely cause things to grind to a standstill. Don’t expect communication to be easy during this time, or to get much done with any efficiency. I would expect some major blowups between the big personalities in family systems with neither party being able to see or comprehend the other’s point of view. Since this will happen in the clean up phase (post-retrograde shadow) of Mercury’s cycle, it might be for the best if people can really get whatever is eaten them off of their chests. But tempers will have to calm down and regroup before any true reconciliation can happen.

Expect the days that Mercury squares off with Saturn (11/12, 12/06, and 12/27) to be thick and slow as molasses. Some people will undoubtedly have to face the consequences of their actions (or inactions) during this time – especially our words and the many other ways that we communicate. Travel around the holidays is going to be slow and filled with terrors (watch out for accidents and people being very reactive to delays).

Lastly, Mercury will trine Chiron in Aries three times. This is the light at the end of this tunnel, but more like the Hermit lantern than anything – perhaps the light that guides us through the tunnel is more accurate. Chiron is not a planet but rather an asteroid that astrologers have noted with extra interest. It is often called the Wounded Healer after its namesake, a centaur from Greek mythology. Like most true healers, Chiron doesn’t heal – not exactly. Rather, it shines a beacon on what is hurting so that you can face it head on and heal yourself.

Some people really enjoy this process. Others run screaming from it with every fiber of their being. You probably know where you fall on that spectrum, stay very aware of that as we move through our Mercury retrograde cycle. Although as an asteroid, Chiron doesn’t carry the heavy significant of Jupiter or Saturn, most people still feel its impacts, especially when Chiron directly aspects their natal birth chart by birth position or through a major transit like this.

The wisest advice I’ve ever seen about Chiron is that although it sometimes hurts, its wise to remember that Chiron is working for you, not against you. This is a light in our tunnel, and it can point your directly at what you need to change, evolve, reevaluate, work on, etc. in your own life. But you need to be looking and its on you to then do the work to fix what needs fixing.

Chiron has had a much bigger part in this year than most. Firstly, it has been involved in every single Mercury retrograde of the year, where its been helping us to self reflect and grow. Secondly, it played a major role in the stellium that involved our eclipsed new moon in Aries, Chiron, Mercury. and the North Node during April. If that lunation was difficult for you, the remnants of it may rise to the surface for further integration.

Chiron is a reminder that things hurt when we are hurt, or ill, or otherwise in need of healing. And that you might need to hurt more to get through the scar tissues, expel the disease, burn out the fever, or whatever healing analogy you want to get better. Chiron is also the Wounded Healer because it has a wound that can never be healed. Some things can’t be fixed, and that is a hard part of the Chironian lesson as well. Instead, we must learn and adapt to where we are; sometimes the answer is moving the marker rather than trying to walk all that way all by ourselves.

Mercury trines Chiron thrice: first on 11/19 in its pre-shadow, a second time on 12/02 in retrograde, and a third time on 12/31 in its post-retrograde shadow. The big flex is to remember these dates may be painful, but necessary.

The other component of this retrograde cycle is Mars sitting in Leo in its own pre-retrograde shadow. Mars retrogrades on 12/06 which means part of these two personal planets’ retrogrades overlap (from 12/06-12/15). Schedule less during this time. Since almost everyone will have a personal planet ruled by either Mercury OR Mars; people will just – in general – but awful to deal with during this time. Don’t sweat the small stuff and try not to take things personally because everyone is going to be in it.

Retrograde Mercury meets up in a fire trine with retrograde Mars around 12/13 which just screams “Red Flags”. Don’t let someone pull you into a fight if you don’t want to fight. Not my shit, not my monkeys (yeah, its bad enough that we are mixing our metaphors here) should be your mantra during this time. Mars in Leo is egotistic to begin with, and that is going to come to bite someone in the ass. Do the best to make sure its not you, and step out of the way of the falling rocks. Both planets are in retrograde so this is a disaster happening in slow motion – you have time to move if you keep your eyes open. Note that this trine never quite reaches exactitude, which is a deep metaphor for these two retrogrades happening simultaneously.

The full moon on 12/15 is at 23° Gemini (ruler of Mercury) and coincides with Mercury stationing direction. This is our ah-ha moment. What comes up on this day does so for a reason. See it, acknowledge it, use it to your advantage. It may be hard to take action on your insight (Mars Retrograde) so write it down so that you can at a later date when life feels a little bit easier.

Since Mercury’s post-retrograde shadow moves through the end of December and into the New Year (and Mar’s retrograde brings us into March), there isn’t an easy road in sight. Take the low road instead. Enjoy the scenic views and really dig in to what you learn along the way. This is a great time to rewrite, review, renew, revisit, and revise. It is ill advised to start a new job, a new relationship, or a new project during this time unless you are willing to follow it through deep into Wonderland and back out again. But follow the white rabbit, if you dare.

The Details

11/07 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 06° Sagittarius 11/12 – Mercury in Sagittarius square retrograde Saturn in Pisces (1) 11/15 – Full moon 24° Taurus, Saturn stations direct 12° Pisces 11/18 – Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (1) 11/19 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries 11/21 – Sun enters Sagittarius 11/25 – Mercury retrogrades 22° Sagittarius 12/01 – New moon 09° Sagittarius 12/02 – Retrograde Mercury trine Chiron in Aries (2) 12/04 – Retrograde Mercury opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (2) 12/05 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 12/06 – Mars retrogrades 06° Leo, Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces 12/13 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Venus in Aquarius, Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius trine retrograde Mars in Leo (not exact) 12/15 – Full moon 23° Gemini, Mercury stations direct 06° Sagittarius 12/24 – Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces 12/26 – Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (3) 12/27 – Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces (3) Mutable T-square 12/31 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries 01/04/25 – Mercury exits its post-shadow retrograde 22° Sagittarius

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