#full moon march 2020

[cupidcures]

When Tulips Kiss | Hwang Hyunjin SMAU

CHAPTERS: 𝜗𝜚 eight | nine | 𝜗𝜚 ten

WORD COUNT: 3.5k (not proofread)

CONTAINS: implied sexual intercourse, very brief mention of an insecure body image (only once), it gets a little toxic towards the end

happy birthday

March 19, 2020 - 06:30.

It was that time of the year when the weather would fluctuate vastly, going from perfect during the day, to chilly when it was the moon’s time to shine. It was that time of the year when the South Korean winter finally began its time to thaw out, revealing the longer-lasting days, giving proper energy from the sun for the first bloom of the spring flowers. March was always the start of a beautiful spring, and it was home to the birthday of a person you cherish and love very deeply. Waking up with the sun peeking through the sheer curtains, you roll over to find your boyfriend lying there, sound asleep, and you find yourself staring at his sleeping figure for god knows how long. Eventually, you decide to get up from the bed, but not before you plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. Yours and Hyunjin’s articles of clothing decorated the floor of his room as memories from last night flashed through your mind. Standing in front of the full-length body mirror, your fingertips traced and connected all the love bites that adorned your skin. You weren’t sure how long you were standing there, but it wasn’t until the man you love, who was now awake, spoke, and snapped you out of your trance.

“You’re so perfect,” Hyunjin muttered softly before standing up and embracing you from behind.

“I love you my honeybee, but I have to disagree with you, I haven’t been feeling the best about my body lately.” you sighed, and before you knew it, you were thrown onto the bed and attacked with his hands tickling your sides.

“HYUNJIN NO STOP!!” You cried out in laughter as you squirmed around, trying to get away. The sound of Hyunjin’s laughter blended together with yours, the both of you were being so loud that you were sure his neighbors were able to hear. But you didn’t care, they were probably used to it anyway.

“Take it back and I stop!!” Hyunjin giggles as you thrash around.

“I take it back!!”

“ARE YOU PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE??”

“Yes!! Yes, I’m perfect just the way I am now please stop before I pee myself!!!!” You plead with laughter as the boy on top of you finally stops with a smug grin on his face.

“Damn right you are, you’re gorgeous and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” Hyunjin leans down and places his lips on the tip of your ear, kissing down to your jawline, then your neck, then your shoulders and collarbone.

“I love and absolutely ADORE everything about you. You’re so perfect, inside and out.” He mumbles against your warm and sunkissed skin. He moves down to your waist and gives kisses on each side before caressing them, and you can’t help but let out a small whimper as he chuckles.

“I love your personality, I love your voice and the sound of your laughter, I love the way you get excited over every little thing, I love your curves. I love the curves on your body but I love it on your lips the most. My flower, you are so perfect and I can’t stand the thought of you feeling like you’re anything less than that. Now let’s get up, yeah? Let’s get you dressed and we can go downstairs and cook some breakfast.” He lifts himself off of you and reaches out his hand for you to grab and pull yourself up with. As his back turns to fetch you one of his shirts from his closet, you smile to yourself subconsciously. You and your loving boyfriend have been together for 2 almost 3 years since the beginning of freshman year, and now you guys are juniors who soon have to bid goodbye and greet your senior year instead. You couldn’t have asked for anyone better, because there’s nobody else for you but him.

“Lift your arms, Baby.” Hyunjin's softspoken tone soothes you and you do what you’re told so he can dress you in his shirt. Holding your hand, he leads you to the door and downstairs to the kitchen. “Now let’s cook, I’m fucking starving!!”

March 19, 2020 - 12:30.

“The bell needs to ring already… I hate this class so much like SERIOUSLY!! I hate history!!” One of your best friends, Jisung, groaned and slammed his head on the table, causing a loud thud noise. You winced just from hearing the impact and tilted your head in concern.

“Are you…. Okay?” You asked as he groaned even more while rubbing his head before hesitantly nodding, paying his attention back to the teacher, who had then just started explaining that she will be assigning a new project, a project that she will be assigning partners to. Everyone in the class collectively expressed their dismay but the teacher shushed everyone, proceeding to pair students up. You and Jisung looked at each other and rolled your eyes, before laughing to yourselves. Everybody hated this class, and it was hard to defend it. The two of you talked to each other about basically anything until she finally called your name to be paired up with someone.

“Song Y/N, you will be paired with Lee Heeseung. One of you, please grab your stuff and move next to each other.”

You sighed and pouted as Jisung pouted back at you, your hopes of being paired with someone you know, gone. Right when you were about to get up to move, Heeseung had already stood up and moved next to you with a flashy smile.

“Hey Y/N!” Heeseung greeted you and held his hand out as you shook it, “It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard about you before! Hyunjin’s girl right? He never shuts up about you. You’re as pretty as he describes.”

You nod as a light blush dusted your cheeks. Even 3 years after you guys became official, you still get shy and surprised whenever people mention that Hyunjin talks about you so much. “Thank you. Heeseung right? It’s nice to meet you too.” After the small talk and greetings, you guys proceeded to talk about the dreaded project that your teacher assigned up until the lunch bell rang.

“I’m assuming you’re going to meet up with Hyunjin right? Can I come with? I gotta give him the notes he missed yesterday.” The boy you just met asked with a shy grin and you agreed to let him come. The walk to the library, the place you always meet Hyunjin at, was awkward and you guys didn’t really talk, and if you did, it would just be simple one-word answers that you couldn’t continue a conversation with. It felt like an eternity until you guys FINALLY reached the library, and when you guys did, you took a seat at an available table and tapped the seat in front of you, signaling for him to sit down too.

“Soo… How do you know Hyunjin?” You questioned, wanting to know more about this friend? Acquaintance? Whatever he is to Hyunjin because, well, he knows Hyunjin!

“We have chemistry together! OH! I just remembered something but you can’t tell Hyunjin.” Heeseung stood up from his chair and leaned down to your ear.

“There’s a surprise party for his birthday tomorrow, I’m sure you already know that though. BUT I need help picking out a present for him. I was talking to him the other day and he said that you were the one who knew him best.” He whispers in your ear before straightening his back then rests his arms on his hips, “So I thought maybe you could help me with that too!”

“Oh, I’m down! When did you wanna do it?” You ask so you can make sure that you tell Hyunjin that you’re going to be busy.

“Let’s go out later today just you and me, but you have to make sure not to tell Hyunjin. Make an excuse or something!” Heeseung gave you a thumbs-up, and you copied his gesture with a smile.

“Okay, can I get your number so I can text you when we can go?” He gives you his phone shyly and you take it, inputting your number in.

“I should get going, I didn’t think it would take Hyunjin this long to come and I gotta meet up with my friends for lunch. Cya! Thanks for the help!” He waves goodbye and you wave back, but what he said has you thinking. You look at your phone and the time. 20 minutes have passed and he’s still not here? And no notifications either? You decided to wait a little longer, just in case something came up and he had to be a little late, but you couldn’t help but worry so you text him just in case.

March 19, 2020 - 16:00.

The tuned melody of the dismissal bell rang throughout the school as the chatter of students quickly rose and flooded your ears. You would usually be happy and peppy by now, joyous that the school day had ended, but you didn’t have a good feeling and it felt as if something was wrong. Hyunjin hadn’t gotten back to you, not even a single text. The thought of something possibly happening to him made you sick to your stomach, but all you could do was pray that he would meet you by your locker. So there you were, waiting for your boyfriend to come by and tell you that everything was going to be okay and that you were just worried over nothing. You were constantly scanning your surroundings in hopes of seeing the boy you love so much as you anxiously bounced your leg on the ground at an impressive rate of speed.

You look at your phone, and it’s blank. It’s 16:15 and the halls are nearly empty, as most of the students have already left the school. Fuck. Where is he??? You look around you for the thousandth time today and you finally lock eyes with him.

“Hyunjin!!” You practically lunged yourself at him and clung onto his arm, letting out a sigh of relief that you didn’t know you were holding in. “Jinnie I missed you so much I was worried sick! Why weren’t you responding to my texts?” You interrogated in a slightly joking manner but at he did was stare at you with a blank expression and shove you off of him as you lost your balance and tumbled back, only to leave you stunned.

“Fuck outta here.” He scoffed and continued on walking as you stood there, shocked at what just happened. All you could do was stare at the back of his head, watching his figure slowly walking away.

What the fuck?

March 19, 2020 - 19:30.

“Maybe something happened and got him in a really bad mood? BUT EVEN SO, that’s no excuse to be rude to you, and especially not to swear at you!!” You were at Chuu’s house now, and you had explained to her what happened and what Hyunjin did to you after school. Just then, you hear a notification go off on your phone, and you immediately go to check if it was Hyunjin who texted you, only to be let down after seeing that it was Heeseung who texted.

“Why won’t he even text me?” You sniffled and covered your face as more tears ran down. “We’ve never had trouble communicating what was going on in our lives before. Why now??”

Chuu immediately wraps you into a tight hug and pats your head. “Maybe he’s really stressed you know? I don’t blame you for feeling frustrated and upset about this because I would feel this way too, but Hyunjin loves you so much Y/N. There’s no doubt about it, and he’ll come around eventually so you two could talk things out. But for right now, let’s call the rest over, okay? Sleepover at my house!!” Chuu smiled the brightest she could to cheer you up, and you choked out a small laugh and laid your head on her shoulder.

“You’re the best.”

“Of courseee~~ NOW I’M GONNA TEXT THE GROUP CHAT SO WE COULD ALL HANG OUT!”

March 20, 2020 - 06:45.

Waking up to the sunlight shining on your face, you found yourself trapped between Seungmin and Chaewon’s arms, with Jeongin and Jisung sleeping at the bottom of your feet. The sight was…. interesting but it made you laugh to yourself a bit. No matter how weird and chaotic they are, there’s no doubt that they all love and care for one another like blood. You carefully slid out of your friends’ arms and reached for your phone for the time, but mostly to check if Hyunjin texted. It was morning time now, and still no texts or calls from your boyfriend. You can feel yourself starting to cry again, tears threatening to fall from your eyes as you walk yourself to Chuu’s bathroom to splash cold water on your face. Closing and locking the door behind you, you give your face a gentle wash. You turn your phone on again just to admire the candid picture you took of Hyunjin during one of the many arcade dates you guys went on. You smile a sad smile, looking at the picture fondly.

I hope he’s willing to talk to me today, it’s his birthday after all.

Despite him ignoring you, you decide to still send him a Happy Birthday text anyway, you love him after all, and you guys will overcome this.

Knock knock knock.

“Y/N you in there???” It was Seungmin, though he tried to keep his voice down so as to not wake the others up, you were still able to tell that his voice was laced with worry and urgency. The last thing you wanted was someone to be worried about you right now, so you stood up and opened the door for him with a smile that didn’t reach your eyes.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I think I’m gonna skip school today though.” You spoke in a soft but raspy voice as Seungmin slowly nodded in acknowledgment.

“Well if that’s the case, then I’m skipping too. No way in hell I’m gonna let you be by yourself. I trust you to be alone, but I just don’t want you to even FEEL alone.” He held your hands and wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

“Hyunjin’s being a little hardheaded and stubborn right now, but I know he loves you. We all know he loves you. HELL, even people who don’t know him could just observe the way he looks at you, and they would know that he loves you. So don’t be too sad alright? Not only does Hyunjin love you, but so do we.” He pinched your cheek as you whined and laughed for him to stop, alerting the others that you two were awake.

“Huh…. What time is it…” Jeongin mumbles sleepily and rubs his eyes, while the rest slowly wake up one by one.

“Me and Y/Nnie here aren’t going to school today. Are you guys gonna be losers and go to school or will you be cool and stay back with us?” Seungmin raised an eyebrow with an expecting look while Chuu, Jeongin, Jisung, and Chaewon shared a look before smiling.

“HELL YEAH LET’S SKIP!!!”

March 20, 2020 - 18:30.

You were nervous, to say the least. Here you were dressed up with the rest of your friends stepping foot in Hyunjin’s house. You were supposed to take part in the group that surprises him when he comes home, but you didn’t feel confident enough to face him yet. How could you feel confident? There was something wrong between the two of you and you weren’t sure of what it was. And you weren’t even sure if HE wanted to face YOU. He hadn’t responded to your happy birthday text, so you could imagine that he’s still upset, for whatever unknown reason, but you’re putting your foot down. You’re going to ask him what’s going on today. You looked around in hopes of finding Hyunjin amidst the crowd, and luck happened to be on your side today because there he was, staring right at you. Even if he was ignoring you, he couldn’t stop himself from admiring your beauty. Even after you guys made eye contact, he didn’t look away, so you did. You looked at Seungmin as he nodded and patted your head before giving you a thumbs up. “You’ve got this!” He encourages and pushes you towards the birthday boy.

The closer you get to him and the more steps you take, the more you feel uneasy and queasy about it. His eyes were still on you, never leaving, and you felt small under his gaze. It’s hard to read his emotions right now. Is he mad? Upset? Why is his expression so blank??? You finally stopped right in front of him as he looked down on you, waiting for you to say something. Yet, the longer you look at his face, the more noticeable his eyebags are and how bloodshot his eyes are.

“Happy Birthday Jinnie. Have you slept?” You asked with genuine concern, lifting your hand to his cheek and stroking it in a gentle manner, and you could almost feel him melt into your touch before he pulled your hand away, his gaze sharpening.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Hyunjin clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth to make a tch sound and rolled his eyes, and that was when you decided that was enough.

“Hyunjin I really don’t understand what’s going on. I love you and I care for you and I want to be there for you when you need it. You always let me before, why won’t you let me now??” You exhaled, frustration and sadness evident in your voice, and for a second, you felt his attitude falter. And for a second, he just wanted to fall back into your arms and pull you into his embrace. For a second, he wants to pull you in for a kiss and tell you how much he loves you and beg you to stay with him, but he can’t. So he shakes the feeling away, ignoring the heartache he’s feeling in his chest.

“I already know, you don’t need to play dumb.” He shrugs and it upsets you even more. Why is he being so nonchalant about this?? And what is he even talking about?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about? So please just make it clear to me because I want to fix this, fix us. I don’t know what I did but I would do anything to fix it.” You held his hand and pleaded, bringing his hand to your chest. “Please tell me what’s going on Hyunjin.”

The two of you managed to grab the attention of a few people, who then started whispering and watching what was going on, and Hyunjin noticed. He couldn’t embarrass himself in front of all these people and take you back, especially not on his birthday.

“Bullshit. You know what you did so stop playing innocent Y/N. You’re a piece of shit and I regret ever dating you.” He spat out as your eyes widened in shock, then welling up in tears.

“This,” Hyunjin points at you and then at him in a continuous motion, “was a mistake. You were never worth my time and I can’t believe I wasted 2, nearly 3 years of my life on somebody like you. I wonder just how long you managed to hide it from me.” He scoffed and began walking away from you, just like he had done yesterday. You could hear your friends calling your name and tugging on your arm, motioning for you to just leave it at that, but you tuned them out. Then, with tears spilling down your face, you caught up with Hyunjin and spun him around to get him to look at you, and it worked. You were unable to read what he was feeling when he saw you as a mess, but what he felt didn’t matter anymore. If he wants to paint you as an asshole, then you’ll be the asshole.

The loud slap that you gave him in front of everyone echoed through the house as you threw the gift you got him for his birthday at his chest. “Happy fucking birthday Hwang.” You spoke through your teeth before turning your back on him and walking out, never looking back.

Hyunjin held his blushing cheek and winced before picking up the gift that you had gotten for him. It was in a small velvet box with a note stuck inside of it. Opening the box revealed a silver heart-shaped locket that held a picture that was taken during their very first date. He gulped and closed the locket back up before turning his attention to the note. It wasn’t a big note that was in there. In fact, it was really small, only being able to hold the words ‘Thank you for showing me that I’m capable of being loved! I’ll always love you Jinnie!’ and Hyunjin’s teardrop right next to it.

a/n: ummm… sorry guys i’m a little iffy on this one LOL. as you can see… i’m not the type to write angst i’m not very good at it HAHA. anywaysss i think this chapter made it more clear as to what hyunjin thinks y/n did, but i didn’t wanna spoil his EXACT thought processing yet! i’m sure most of you guys are smart enough to figure it out tho lololol

𝜗𝜚 WTK series masterlist

TAGLIST (OPEN)! @jeonginplsholdmyhand @jeonginsgirl @mlrroh @mafiulaputaama @seungzsmin @hannie-bees @skz1lov @porang-poranglinos @sillyhal @mitchii @nessas-archive @soulphoenix1618

if your blog was italicized, it means i wasn’t able to tag you :’(

[sadhornydemons]

Helluva Boss episode, music video and shorts air dates & hiatus:

Reference for future episodes. Episode hiatus 3 months or longer will be noted.

Pilot: November 25, 2019 (Monday)

(Music Video) Oh Millie: February 14, 2020 (Friday)

(11 months)

Murder Family: October 31, 2020 (Saturday)

Loo Loo Land: December 9, 2020 (Wednesday)

Spring Broken: January 31, 2021 (Sunday)

C.H.E.R.U.B. : March 14, 2021 (Sunday)

The Harvest Moon Festival: April 30, 2021 (Friday)

(4 months)

Truth Seekers: August 21, 2021 (Saturday)

Ozzie's: October 31, 2021 (Sunday)

(9 months)

The Circus: July 30, 2022 (Saturday)

(3 months)

Seeing Stars: October 19, 2022 (Wednesday)

(5 months)

Exes and Oohs: March 11, 2023 (Saturday)

Western Energy: May 20, 2023 (Saturday)

Queen Bee: (delayed season 1 episode) June 24, 2023 (Saturday)

Unhappy Campers: July 8, 2023 (Saturday)

Oops: September 9, 2023 (Saturday)

Mammon's Magnificent Musical Mid-Season Special (ft Fizzarolli): October 29, 2023 (Sunday)

(Music Video) Just Look My Way: December 3, 2023 (Sunday)

(Short) Hell's Belles: April 26, 2024 (Friday)

(7 months)

The Full Moon: May 31, 2024 (Friday)

Apology Tour: June 22, 2024 (Saturday)

(Short) Mission: Antarctica: July 31, 2024 (Wednesday)

(Short) Mission: Weeaboo-Boo: August 31, 2024 (Saturday)

[apod]

2024 March 14

Moon Pi and Mountain Shadow Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Lopez (El Cielo de Canarias)

Explanation: What phase of the Moon is 3.14 radians from the Sun? The Full Moon, of course. Even though the Moon might look full for several days, the Moon is truly at its full phase when it is Pi radians (aka 180 degrees) from the Sun in ecliptic longitude. That's opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. Rising as the Sun set on March 9, 2020, only an hour or so after the moment of its full phase, this orange tinted and slightly flattened Moon still looked full. It was photographed opposite the setting Sun from Teide National Park on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Also opposite the setting Sun, seen from near the Teide volcano peak about 3,500 meters above sea level, is the mountain's rising triangular shadow extending into Earth's dense atmosphere. Below the distant ridge line on the left are the white telescope domes of Teide Observatory. Again Pi radians from the Sun, on March 25 the Full Moon will dim slightly as it glides through Earth's outer shadow in a penumbral lunar eclipse.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240314.html

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Venus enters Virgo

Monday, August 5 - Thursday, August 29, 2024

Full disclosure: this may not be a fun transit. There are plenty of challenges. Also, Venus is said to be in her “fall” in Virgo, occupying the sign opposite where she is exalted (Pisces). Astrologers March and McEvers likened this to “you’re staying in a strange house, and you don’t know the rules.”

My belief is that the planets all can stand to learn something when they’re in signs they don’t like - and in Virgo, Venus is working on her skills. Throughout her areas:

Art - working on technique is favored. That would be scales for a musician, for example. We could also work on developing healthy responses to criticism.

Beauty - looking like you’re in good health is usually sufficient - think Ingrid Bergman. Not a lot of makeup or “styling.” We could explore more of a thrifty approach to our clothes (like learning to sew a button back on, for example).

Love - keep aiming for being truly helpful. Sometimes we think we’re helping by pointing out everything wrong with someone, or by nagging. We evaluate relationships based on how willing we are to work on them.

Money - penny wise and pound foolish. The only placement that will blow its entire paycheck on vitamins.

If we’ve made any questionable choices over the past weeks (raises hand), we may just be in for a comeuppance while Venus is in Virgo. Where we’re lacking, will be made clear. Are we going to be humble about it and work harder, or are we going to skulk off in bitterness?

Monday, August 5 - Venus/Virgo inconjunct Pluto Rx/Aquarius, 0°33’. Adjustments. Cold indifference (regardless of its source, ourselves or others) makes us realize we need to recalibrate.

Wednesday, August 7 - Venus/Virgo conjunct Mercury Rx/Virgo, 3°43’. We may actually feel this one late on August 5, when the Virgo Moon will conjunct both Venus and Mercury. It’s charming and helpful and humble, but it’s also about a lightweight as astrology gets.

Sunday, August 11 - Monday, August 12:

Venus/Virgo trine Ceres Rx/Capricorn, 8°07’

Venus/Virgo (8°25’) sesquiquad Chiron Rx/Aries (23°25’)

Venus/Virgo inconjunct North Node/Aries, semi-sextile South Node/Libra, 8°59’

Traditional values. We are looking for practical, womanly solutions. Have a strategy for when this irritates people, and don’t be too perfectionist to ignore helping hands. Be patient.

Tuesday, August 13 - Venus/Virgo (10°26’) sesquiquad Eris Rx/Aries (25°26’). Angry women! Eris wants to throw Molotov cocktails but Venus wants to nitpick. Some of us will nag people so hard it will feel like a Molotov cocktail. Adjust your approach to addressing problems.

Saturday, August 17 - Monday, August 19

Venus/Virgo (15°17’) sesquiquad Pluto Rx/Aquarius (0°17’)

Venus/Virgo square Jupiter/Gemini, 17°21’

Venus/Virgo opposite Saturn Rx/Pisces, 17°29’

This is the biggest event of Venus/Virgo - having the honor (?) to help trigger the first (of three) of the Jupiter-Saturn squares. Mars will have set this off a few days earlier, making us feel like we want to get going on something right now but feeling held back and hampered - and we now find ourselves in a new situation (mutable signs) - remembering the “assist” from Pluto, which happens to be on the same degree as the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of December 20, 2020. Something is going to take more hard work than we anticipated, and it’s going to take longer. It’s important to blend optimism with being realistic - don’t feel you have to take on all the job yourself, but accept help - and don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good.” Build up relationships by looking for common ground.

Thursday, August 22 - Friday, August 23:

Venus/Virgo square Mars/Gemini, 22°08’

Venus/Virgo semi-sextile Mercury Rx/Leo, 22°59’

Venus/Virgo inconjunct Chiron Rx/Aries, 23°11’

Venus square Mars can be sexy, but in mutable signs it feels more jittery and anxious. We could be trying too hard; we could be mistaken in how we interpret others. Watch your mouth.

Sunday, August 25 - Venus/Virgo inconjunct Eris Rx/Aries, 25°23’. Angry women time again. We want to be more effective about how we address our grievances, so we’ll need to adjust a bit.

Monday, August 26 - Tuesday, August 27:

Venus/Virgo sextile Pallas/Scorpio, 26°32’

Venus/Virgo trine Uranus/Taurus, 27°14’

Finally, some flowing energy. This will enable us to come up with very clever and unique solutions and possibilities. We may do a little mediating while we’re at it.

Wednesday, August 28 - Venus/Virgo opposite Neptune Rx/Pisces, 29°08’. Stones fan that I am, I’m pretty sure that as long as Neptune makes the final aspect, regardless of the circumstances, we’ll all be singing along with Mick, “You can’t always get what you want - but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” If we haven’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good,” some precious illumination is in store.

———————————

Venmo @ Mary_Brack

PayPal @ MaryVBrack

Thank you!

[accio-victuuri]

another piece of the clowning puzzle. lol. since wyb has decided to show off his camera 📷

part one of this cpn is here incase you are confused

now that we have a clearer and more HD look at the camera he is using, we have another spin on it that may or may not be true. lol. i mean that’s how cpns work anyway.

We thought that ZZ was using a Leica Q2 because we saw it posted 2 years ago. However, it turns out that there is actually another version of the Leica Q2, which is the Leica Q2 Monochrome. What is the difference between the two? A simple understanding is that Q2 is a color camera, while Q2M is a black and white camera. It is specially designed for people who like black and white images, and the one ZZ uses is Q2M. There are three clues that confirms this:

[1] From the appearance, there is no difference in structure between Q2 and Q2M, but the Q2 body is marked with red, orange and other numbers, while the Q2M is a black and white image, so all the markings on the body are complete. It's black and white. It can be seen from the previous photos taken by fans that although they are blurry, the markings on the body are all black and white.

[2] The Leica Q2M was launched in November 2020, and the time when Zhan appeared with the Q2M and was photographed was in March 21 ( *He used Leica Q2 in 2019). In October 21, he released a photo in Oasis. There is a black and white image of the West Lake, which should be taken by Q2M.

[3] ZZ has always been a fan of black and white images, and has a lot of photography works.

Now as for Bobo, same with Q2, Leica M11 also has a Monochrome version. The concept is the same as Q2M. The M11m is a full-frame black and white back-illuminated sensor that deliberately omits color filters to improve the quality of black and white images to an unprecedented level. In other words, the Leica M11m is currently the latest and most powerful black and white image camera. Two clues for this:

[1] The moon in Bobo’s Mid-Autumn Festival is black and white, and the resolution is exactly the same as M11m.

[2] The latest photo just posted by YBO, there is no red mark next to the viewfinder of the camera in Bobo’s hand. The one with the red mark is the Leica M11, and the one without the red mark is the Leica M11m.

So yeah, They have matching b&w cameras. 🤍🖤

ZZ who used Leica in 2019, then switched to the b&w version of it after. That means he really knows his way around this camera. It makes sense that he will gift something from the same brand to WYB. He is probably interested in the whole B&W aesthetic too so it’s perfect for him.

source: 炫风小马驹

[wartakes]

Firewatch (March 2024 edition, Part 2)

(This is Part 2 of my innagural edition of "Firewatch" becuase I was dumb and didn't realize what the character limit is. Read Part 1 here). Full piece beneath the cut.

Smoldering Embers

These are the conflicts that, while not yet to the point where the flames are rising and heating up, smoke is starting to billow (or has been billowing) and there's potential for a real blaze to suddenly flare up at a moment's notice. You may have heard about them in the news here and there, but they're likely only popping up for your attention once in a blue moon because they haven't gotten bad or dramatic enough yet to fully grab the world's attention amid everything else going on.

West Africa/Sahel

The Sahel regions of West Africa are no stranger to crisis and conflict. Multiple countries in the region have already been dealing with internal political discord and armed conflict for years, but now multiple factors and various players seem to be converging in this part of Africa, positioning it to take a number of different paths forward in the coming months and years – few of which look very good.

West Africa and the Sahel are feeling a series of different pressures converging all at once. Since 2020, the region has seen a historic number of coup d'etats – both failed attempts and successful ones – which often come with a large amount of public support amid frustration with institutions and leaders that appear to be failing them. One reason for this frustration (among others that should be unsurprising, like economic troubles) is increasing amounts of instability throughout the region. Affiliates of both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State both have footholds in the region, and are engaged in insurgencies against the governments of Mali (its most recent coup being in 2021, and also fighting a simultaneous insurgency by Tuareg separatists), Burkina Faso (most recent coup in 2022), and Niger (most recent coup in 2023), with Nigeria also dealing with a well over-decade old insurgency against Bokho Haram.

Niger's coup last year, in particular, seems to have been a watershed moment for the region and beyond. The country was strategically important both for its mineral resources (which unsurprisingly have not translated into economic and social development for the people of Niger themselves) and as a geographically well positioned outpost both for France (who's colonial legacy hangs heavily over the region) and the Untied States and other foreign powers, who all had troops stationed in the country to conduct counter-terrorism operations. The coup was seen as serious enough that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to the Nigerien junta this past summer, threatening that if it did not cede power back to the elected President that ECOWAS would intervene to restore the legitimately elected government (as it has in the past).

Ultimately, the ECOWAS threats have not come to fruition and don't seem likely to – despite some apparent moves to do so in the aftermath of the coup. But out of those threats, Niger has joined into a new political and military alliance called the Alliance of Sahel States with both Burkina Faso and Mali (all of which had been suspended from ECOWAS due to their respective coups) to provide for collective self-defense against foreign intervention. Since 2023, French troops have been forced out of both Burkina Faso and Niger – with Niger now seemingly on the verge of doing the same to the remaining US troops in the country, while Vladimir Putin's Russia has seemingly been on a charm offensive to befriend the members of new alliance signing economic and military agreements and even reportedly dispatching troops – with mercenaries such as those from Wagner already having been active in the area (now operating under the new name of the "Africa Corps").

All these factors and more combined suggest that things in the Sahel are liable to get very interesting in the near future. As stated before, a number of different paths seem to unfold ahead for the region: if the ongoing radical insurgencies continue and are victorious, we could see a new territorial caliphate in West Africa and the Sahel mirroring that of IS in Iraq and Syria in the 2010s (and all the horrors that came with it). Barring that, as Russia deepens its ties to the AES, it could further turn the region into even more of a battleground in the multilateral Cold War we find ourselves in (as Russia is not the only authoritarian power seeking to deepen its influence in West Africa, as Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also attempting to get involved there). Those are only two potential options out of many, and the myriad of other options in a region that is heavily populated and on the radar of multiple great powers means that it bears continued monitoring going forward.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo/Rwanda

Now this is one that I imagine is probably flying under the radars of most people who aren't deeper into my field, but is probably one of the most immediately pressing in Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been fighting against a rebellion by the armed group known as "M23" in its East for a decade now – that much isn't new. But now the conflict is threatening to turn onto a state-on-state war in Africa's Great Lakes region, as M23's primary back of neighboring Rwanda seemingly steps up its direct involvement into the conflict.

Rwanda has been backing M23 for some time now, with both Rwanda's government (under long-time President Paul Kagame) and M23 itself being primarily led by members of the Tutsi ethnic group. Rwanda also has a history of armed interventions in the DRC as well, so that in itself is not new. But in recent months the long-running tensions and low-level conflict between the DRC and Rwanda has threatened to boil over into outright, full-scale war, amid a series of fresh escalations – one prominent example being Rwanda firing on a DRC fighter-jet that it claimed violated its airspace. The high level of tensions has been further evidenced by more direct US involvement recently than is typically seen in this part of the world, with the United States and other governments attempting to broker some kind of peaceful resolution between the DRC and Rwanda. These efforts do not seem to have made much headway, with this past month the United States resorting to publicly urging both the DRC and Rwanda to "walk back from the brink of war." US mediation efforts may well be undermined, however, by it's (and many other Western countries') cozy relationship with Rwanda – despite its autocratic leader.

The trajectory for the current crisis remains unclear. A sideline meeting during the African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa appeared to make some progress in at least getting both the DRC and Rwanda to sit at one table and discuss a return to a peaceful dialogue to resolve their differences. However, that same day, the DRC accused Rwanda of having launched a drone attack in the city of Goma – a key objective of M23's advances, seemingly pouring cold war on the idea of constructive and peaceful reconciliation for the time being. Most recently, the DRC appears to be acquiring drones of its own, with China reportedly set to supply the DRC with nine CH-4 armed drones (apropos of nothing, China has also supplied a fair amount of military hardware to Rwanda in recent years, as well as military training).

With little other news available on the crisis since February (with other global events taking precedence), it remains unclear where things with the DRC and Rwanda go from here. There have been reports that the DRC and Rwandan leaders may be preparing to meet face-to-face once more, through mediation by Angola. At the same time, little seems to have changed with the personalities at play. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi was recently re-elected (under conditions labeled a "farce" by the DRC opposition), and has previously taken a hard line on the crisis, threatening to "march on Kigali" if re-elected and the issues with Rwanda persist. The DRC's acquisition of drones from China seems to reinforce that it has no plans of backing down in its confrontation with M23 and Rwanda, even if Tshisekedi doesn't follow through on his more bellicose threats. Meanwhile in Rwanda, Kagame announced his intent to seek a fourth term as President – amid criticism for lifting term limits in order to stay in office longer (criticisms that he has made clear he cares very little for if at all), and so has an impetus to maintain his own hard-line on issues with the DRC.

A further ticking clock has been added to the DRC-Rwanda situation by the fact that the United Nations mission in the Congo – which has been assisting the DRC fight against rebels (including M23) for almost two decades – will now be leaving the DRC by the end of 2024 at the request of the DRC government, stating that the force had not been able to resolve the war with M23. This comes after the DRC government also ordered troops from the East African Community (EAC) that had been present in the country as well to leave in late 2023 – for the same reasons it ordered the UN force to leave. While the DRC may well be right that neither force has helped it to beat M23, the withdrawal of these troops may very well shift the entire balance of the conflict and not necessarily in a way that the DRC wants. The South African Development Community (SADC), led by South Africa itself, is seeking to fill the gap left by the UN and EAC, but it remains to be seen how quickly they can do so and if they can change facts on the ground any more than the UN or EAC could. Once again, we see a number of potential factors on a collision course, and while cooler heads may still prevail, we see the prospect of yet another major war in the heart of Africa's Great Lakes regions that could have significant impacts for the people of the region, the continent, and the world. It is definitely worth keeping an eye on this developing situation (to the extent you can even find news on it).

Ethiopia

Ethiopia, like Myanmar, is a country that has shown up in the past when I've done a round-up on pertinent conflicts in the world. However, unlike with Myanmar, I'm afraid I can't report that things are getting better in Ethiopia's case or that there's much cause for hope at this point. In fact, things seem to be getting actively worse.

The last time I substantively talked about Ethiopia, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was engaged in a war in the Tigray region against the Tigray People's Liberation Force – even allying with his former long-time adversary of Eritrea to do so in a war that threatened to rip the country apart while engaging in brutal authoritarian actions that I'm sure are making the Nobel Committee really regret giving him that prize in retrospect. After a seesawing of the fortunes of war back and forth for both sides, the conflict was seemingly brought to a close by the signing of a peace agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian federal government. All's well that ends well, done and dusted, right?

Well, actually: no.

Just less than a year after the Tigray War ended, Abiy apparently tripped over his dick into a new internal conflict in mid 2023, this time with Amhara people and forces in the eponymous Amhara region (Ethiopia's second most populous) rather than Tigray. The spark for this conflict was apparently born out of the haphazard way in which Abiy ended the previous one. One of Abiy's key allies in the Tigray War were militias and security forces from the region of Amhara, including an influential armed group known as the "Fano." However, the peace deal that Abiy struck with Tigray did not sit well with many Amahara people, who felt betrayed by the deal due to Tigray claims on their territory (as well as the fact that the Ethiopian federal military and security forces had been unable to prevent the TPLF from occupying Amahara territory during the war). This rift was only made worse by crackdowns by Abiy's government against the Fano, coupled with a plan to absorb Ethiopia's regional security forces into Ethiopia's federal military and security forces, which was not received well among the Amhara. These tensions and more came to a head from April through August 2023, with the result being Abiy's government facing down a fresh and ongoing revolt that doesn't appear to be ending soon.

The result of this bridge burning by Abiy has been a growing war in Amhara occurring under the umbrella of an ever prolonged state of emergency in Amhara that gives Ethiopian authorities broad powers to carry out arrests, impose curfews, and ban public gatherings. This is a continuation of the Abiy's playbook of gross human rights violations from the previous war in Tigray, with accusations being leveled against his government of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions, and indiscriminate killings – including indiscriminate drone strikes against targets such as schools and public transit stations (apropos of nothing, once more, Abiy has acquired his fleet of armed drones from Iran, Turkey, and China – as well as purchasing new fighter jets from Russia). If you're wondering why you haven't heard more about all this, its because Abiy has made heavy handed use of another favorite tactic of his from the previous war (and that it has even used against Amhara in the past), which is information and specifically internet blackouts, which make it very difficult to get information out of Amahara as the conflict drags on (as it did in Tigray during that war).

Abiy's uncanny knack for burning bridges and making enemies isn't limited to within his own country, but has made tensions rise throughout East Africa. At the start of 2024, Abiy signed an agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland in Somalia, which reportedly gives Ethiopia a naval port on Somaliland's coastline in exchange for recognizing the region's independence from Somalia (something that no other UN member state does). All of this appears to be part of Abiy's quest to regain Ethiopian access to the sea (lost after Eritrea became independent), which has included efforts to re-establish the Ethiopian Navy. The reaction to this deal has been, unsurprisingly, poorly received in Somalia, with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud even threatening the possibility of war if Ethiopia follows through with it and accusing Ethiopia of outright trying to annex part of Somalia. Somalis are not the only ones unease about Ethiopia's quest for access to the Red Sea, with other East African states such as Djibouti, Eritrea, and Kenya all having previously voiced concern about Ethiopian actions.

There's also the matter of Ethiopia's previously mentioned issues with Egypt over the Nile River, in particular Ethiopia's construction of a massive hydroelectric dam known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (or "GERD") on the river that Egypt worries could have a devastating effect on its water supply downstream if Ethiopia acts without considering Egyptian concerns. Despite numerous efforts to come to an agreement over the dam and the river, every attempt thus far has ended in failure, with Egypt continuing to refer to GERD an "existential threat." Egypt has also made it clear that it stands squarely with Somalia regarding the sea access debacle, with Egypt's autocratic President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asserting that "Egypt will not allow anyone to threaten Somalia or affect its security," creating a fresh avenue for tension between Egypt and Ethiopia in addition to the GERD issue. This is all in addition to concerns that both Egypt and Ethiopia could be drawn into the aforementioned civil war in Sudan, with numerous potential negative consequences for all involved.

The long and short of things when it comes to Ethiopia, is you have no shortage of opportunities for more intense conflict in the near future, both within and around the country. Abiy's continued heavy handed approach to both domestic and foreign politics creates an ever increasing possibility that one day he will bite off more than he can chew, and potentially spark a conflict of such scale and scope that it could engulf all of East Africa in a major war and potentially even destroy Ethiopia – the second most populous country in Africa – as a polity. Given the potential consequences, this is a part of the world meriting very close observation going forward.

"Do You Smell Something Burning?"

In this final section, I want to touch briefly (as I've already gone on for a few thousand words) on some hot spots in the world that are cause for concern and have been for a while, but have nothing major going on at this moment in time. While they may be quiet (at least relatively speaking, compared to everything else we've just talked about), they have the potential to spark up in the mid to long term and become a problem once again.

The Korean Peninsula

By this point, we're probably all used to North Korea (under its dictator, Kim Jong-Un) shooting off missiles and making bellicose statements. That's par for the course for them. But in recent months, Kim and his government's rhetoric have taken a new and more hostile turn. North Korea has stated it has abandoned the idea of peaceful unification with the South, instead naming it North Korea's "principal enemy" which it will "annihilate" if it is provoked. This comes as North Korea continues weapons tests and conducts multiple military drills – with Kim often in attendance.

While I wouldn't worry about a continuation of the (yet unresolved) Korean War just yet, this may well be cause for concern. While tensions are typical on the Peninsula, we haven't seen rhetoric like this from the North in quite some time. And while full-scale war may be unlikely at this moment (though not impossible), 010 showed us that under the right conditions, the Peninsula is never far from violent skirmishes and incidents between the two Koreas, such as the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan. While wider conflict was avoiding in those cases, now that South Korea has a more reactionary President wanting to present a hard line towards the North, it raises questions about it may react to provocation. Again, while I wouldn't be panicking just yet, it may be worth keeping your ear to the ground on this one to keep from being caught unawares if tensions suddenly spike further.

Armenia and Azerbaijan

Well, they finally did it. I've also written about this conflict several times now, and it looks like by all accounts, Azerbaijan has gotten exactly what it said it wanted. After the world stood by and did largely nothing in its 2020 war against the ethnic-Armenian enclave of Artsakh (AKA: Nagorno-Karabakh), Azerbaijan decided to finish the job once and for all with a fresh offensive on the heels of a nine-month blockade this past year. With next to no prospect of outside assistance, and weakened by the blockade, the Artsakh forces quickly folded, and almost the entirety of the ethnic Armenia population promptly fled in the ensuing days and weeks to avoid violence at the hand of Azeri forces, leaving Azerbaijan free to complete its cultural genocide of the region. But now that its over, surely Armenia and Azerbaijan can find a way to live in peace with this new reality? Right?

Ha ha, no.

In what should be surprising to absolutely no one, Azerbaijan has celebrated getting what it wanted in Artsakh by shifting the goal post once more. Now its new demand is a land corridor connecting it to its ethnic exclave of Naxcivan on the opposite side of Armenia – referred to as the "Zangezur Corridor" (after the Azeri name for the Armenian Syunik province that it would pass through). Armenia seems highly unlikely to agree to such a demand, which it views as an unacceptable infringement on its sovereignty, which likely means – as has been the case after every war fought between these two countries in the past – a new war is almost certainly on the horizon as Azerbaijan will not stop until an outside force compels it to stop and will use the Armenian rejection as an excuse for fresh conflict. 2024 has already seen fresh skirmishes on the border between the two countries, showing that the tensions remain very much present.

It's not clear when this new war will occur, but we can only hope that in the interim more nations step up to actually assist Armenia. We have seen hopeful signs of greater support from other countries, with France and India selling arms to the country to help it defend itself. However, I can't take any of that for granted, with how the world has left Armenia out to dry time and time again. If Azerbaijan does decide to go to war for a land corridor, it also risks potentially sparking a wider regional war, as Iran has called such an action to cut off its land border with Armenia a "red line" (though whether or not it would really take military action in response remains unclear). Anyway, keep your ears to the ground on this one, because like with the other wars Azerbaijan has launched it'll likely come out of the blue.

I'm Very Tired.

I've just thrown a lot of information at you, so I'm going to try and keep this conclusion short and sweet (for me). First, I'll lay out a few takeaways about the wider world situation, and then some general closing thoughts.

Looking at the general state of things with the conflicts I've laid out, I'm going to infer a few things about the general state of global security. For one, Africa is in a dire state in multiple regards and seems to be the biggest place to watch for trouble on the horizon at the moment, as it has several crises that seem ready to boil over into major wars in the near future – if they haven't already in some cases. These crises and conflicts have the potential to pit some of the most populous countries on the continent against one another, and also to rip some of those same countries apart internally. Short of that, Africa is also seemingly getting teed up to be the sight of a new round of intense great power competition for influence and resources the likes of which we haven't seen since the Cold War, with said competition not just involving big players like the United States, Russia, or China, but attracting newcomers to the influence game too – as the UAE's involvement in Sudan's civil war has shown. Finally, it's also worth noting that now that we're in a post-Russian invasion of Ukraine world where large scale state-on-state conflict is back on the menu after many "experts" thinking it was dead and gone, it makes some of the fault lines we're watching here even more important to keep a close eye on.

There's almost certainly more that I say here, but these are just some big overarching themes to take away from this round of observation. Now, for the closing thoughts:

I know you're tired. We all are. I am.

That being said, we can't give up in our fight for a better world for everyone living in it. That requires remaining well informed (to the extent that you're able) about what's going on in that world. This is especially true if your government is playing a role in it (for good or for bad), or it isn't and it should be. Information is, in its own right, power.

I know that your emotional energy is precious, and likely being eaten up but a number of different things at any given moment. I'm not ask you to drop everything and devote all your time and energy to these causes or others, nor am I trying to shame you for not paying as close attention to them as I or others have. Simply, to add them to the Rolodex of your brain as something that matters and that you should check in on once in a while so you're not caught unawares when new developments occur that may affect you and others.

There's only so much that all of us can do about any one issue, either at home or abroad. But we do what we can, and in order to do that, we need to have an idea of what's going on. So take that as you will after reading all this (or anything else that I write or post, for that matter).

On that note, I'll let you get back to whatever else you need to do. But thank you for taking the time to read this and potentially learn more about events you may not have known much about and their potential impacts. I'll hopefully see you again for my next essay, but in the meantime: stay safe out there and don't give up.

Photo credit: africanews/AFP.

[saturniandevil]

April 2024 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's April forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan and Diana Rose Harper (Austin is away on paternity leave). This is one of the most astrologically active months in the year. In addition to planetary movements, there's a comet that will be visible soon in the night sky and a nova.

We're going into the month right off the tail of a Libra lunar eclipse on March 25th. We're in "eclipse season," the time between eclipses, with much activity to report. Starting off, Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship crashed into it, which Austin called last forecast when he said that Mars's entry into Pisces (approaching a conjunction to Saturn) would involve a sudden halt in maritime trade. Astrologically it's quite on the nose, with a Libra (associated with trade/commerce) moon conjunct the South Node (symbolizing lack and decrease). We even have a chart for the opening of this bridge: it was an exact Mars return for this bridge, as well as its Uranus opposition and nodal opposition. Also on the Libra eclipse was the UN Security Council's vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. The April 8th eclipse will show us whether this resolution is successful, and a final Libra eclipse in October will tie these events together.

In celebrity news, we had obviously doctored photos of Kate Middleton prompting increasingly wild speculation on what the British royal family was hiding, culminating in Kate announcing her cancer diagnosis & chemotherapy plans on the March 22nd Venus(women, exalted in Pisces = royalty)-Saturn (slow illnesses) conjunction. She was also born on a lunar eclipse & announced this right before one. Just 3 days after the eclipse, on March 28th, Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the newest development in a story that began on an eclipse when BitCoin crashed and revealed his role in one of the biggest instances of financial fraud in US history.

In smaller news, a nova in the T Coronae Borealis system will be visible as a new star in the night sky this year. This nova is visible every 76 years or so (the last time was 1946), and has been observed as far back as the Middle Ages. Add this to the eclipses and the comet, and Chris hasn't seen such an astrological buildup since forecasting 2020. As the eclipse hit his 3rd house Donald Trump published a book combining the Bible and the US Constitution, while in other news an orca was stranded in British Columbia, another dolphin & orca-related development in the (Mars-)Saturn in Pisces in cycle and Arizona announced Pluto as their state planet.

April Overview: with significant activity in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus simultaneously, we'll be getting hard aspects to every modality (and trines to every element)--everyone will be getting hit with some kind of change (but will have opportunities for growth as well). Chris makes a distinction between the challenging first half of the month, and a second half which will see more clarity.

April 1st - Mercury stations retrograde By time of posting this retrograde is in full swing: disruptions in communication, plans, travel and technology. Diana describes this as especially frustrating in Aries, trying to go one way but some huge miscommunication gets in the way. We may have to walk back on words spoken in anger and renegotiate situations where we identified the wrong target as our enemy. With the eclipse's ruler Mars conjoining Saturn on the 10th, anyone who travels for the eclipse and hangs around for a few days may run into blockages, likely due to rain and floods. Other general Mercury retrograde significations: people come back into your life, unfinished projects become relevant again, and situations from the past resurface. For example, Sagittarius risings often see the "duderang" effect where male lovers come back into their lives, as Mercury rules their Gemini 7th house. Mercury rx also brings delays and slowdowns, and is generally a good time for introspection and "emotional alchemy."

April 3rd - Venus conjoins Neptune This occurs right as she leaves the sign of Pisces. Venus-Neptune keywords: dreamy, fantastical, imaginative (especially with art), compassionate, and opportunities to find new avenues of enjoyment and pleasure. Saturn's copresence in Pisces can bring us some grounding and reality. This can also bring unclear boundaries, uncertain relationships, and idealizing one's lover--like using the soft lens. In events, AI images and videos and toxic synthetic dyes also fall under Venus-Neptune. Is the siren's call too good to be true?

April 4th - Venus enters Aries Chris hopes that Venus's copresence to the eclipse will mitigate some of its effects, but on the flipside this means she's left Mars and Saturn alone with each other in the Pisces chart of our house.

April 8th - Total Solar Eclipse in Aries This eclipse will be visible over much of the (particularly eastern) continental US:

Diana calls it a chiron eclipse, so here's the chart with chiron:

The Moon will eclipse the Sun at 19 Aries, which is where Chiron will be as well. Mythologically, Hercules brings back the head (North Node, Aries) of the hydra to Chiron, whose poison causes him incredible pain because he is immortal and cannot die from it. He eventually trades his immortality for Prometheus and Zeus puts him in the heavens as a constellation. Narratively, eclipses invert what we expect: it becomes dark in the middle of the day! Prominent people fall suddenly from grace and new rulers skyrocket to power during eclipses. Because the eclipse occurs in the sign of the Sun's exaltation, leaders and heads of state/organization/etc will be especially affected. A similar Chiron-influenced Aries solar eclipse occurred in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Nelson Mandela was sent to jail under an eclipse, but was also freed under another eclipse and elected to office under yet another eclipse.

For individuals, make note of what house this occurs in for you; this will be the end of one chapter and the opening of a new one in this area of life. Anything close to 19° of Aries will definitely feel it, as will any placements at that degree of Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn (hard aspects to the cardinal signs), while 19 Leo and Sagittarius (trine to fire signs) may feel some support. Generally, this series of events in Aries-Libra began a year ago, and will have its final eclipse on this axis in March of 2025.

This eclipse is ruled by a Mars (♓) who's just about conjunct with Saturn (♓), grinding things to a halt. Whatever's happening in the Aries and Pisces place is going to take some extra time. Other keywords: the end of a life cycle, matters of great importance & turning points in world history, major disasters as well as scientific discoveries. Eclipses highlight just how much is out of our control, like being on a teacup ride that's going too fast and being unable to stop unless something hits you. 6 months later, we'll get an eclipse that connects to some of these events:

Diana also points out that there will be an influx of tourists to rural areas of the US, advising travelers to stay courteous and noting that many local municipalities advise residents to stock up on basic supplies so they won't be lacking when a small area is flooded with new people & their needs. Generally, the eclipse will be a very creepy experience, with the Sun going completely dark, colors becoming muted, and stars may even be visible--some cultures have warnings against going outside during eclipses. Back to metaphors, Chris points out that the small seeds of much larger events are often planted during eclipses. Sometimes you don't know until later just how important this obscured implantation is because, like the Sun, our vision is occulted. Take notes, even of subtle things.

April 10th - Mars conjunct Saturn in Pisces We expect the two malefics to bring us challenges: their conjunctions in late Capricorn & early Aquarius heralded the first COVID lockdowns, and other hard aspects brought new variants and similar pandemic news. In 2022 a Mars-Saturn conjunction occurred with an epidemic of ebola. However, note that these are all airborne viruses, and these movements occurred with Saturn in the air sign of Aquarius. What will this look like in Pisces, a water sign? Chris predicts that existing Saturn-Pisces issues with water pollution and maritime trade/travel will have destructive moments as Mars comes in, while Diana thinks about water as a vector of disease, such as cholera & sewage treatment. Now that deep permafrost is melting due to climate change, we may also see new pathogens or substances released, as well as complications from farm water runoff. We'll definitely see the effects of this Baltimore bridge collapse, and, with the outbreak of dengue fever in Latin America, may see developments around diseases borne of insect bites. We may also hear about the ill effects of microplastics, lead, and asbestos as a result of this conjunction. More generally: pollution, ocean, liquids, extremes of hot and cold, feelings of constraint (and literal constraint), and spiritual or emotional burnout. Pisces is a sign of inescapable enmeshment with each other, so we'll likely deal with compassion fatigue and emotional isolation (especially involving social media). Questions of whether or not something is "real" remain relevant as ever.

On the positive side, Mars-Saturn brings discipline and self-control. Sometimes Mars and Saturn can temper each other to give us self-sustaining focus. We can combine hard-won wisdom with the drive we need to achieve it, like a martial arts training montage. Do we have the belief and conviction to achieve mastery? With determination we can reach heights we once only imagined. There's also stamina, resilience, and rigidity. Overlapping with the Mercury retrograde, we can also see delays and obstructions. If there are boundaries you've been meaning to enact, now is the time. We can see potential pitfalls, but beware of pessimism and not believing in yourself. Resentment and pent-up anger can also come into play as Mars's impulse butts up against Saturn's inaction, but incremental progress adds up.

April 11th - Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury (Cazimi) This marks a turning point in the retrograde. Diana uses a spelunking metaphor: during the retrograde we're diving into the cave, and at the cazimi we've found our treasure...but we still have to make our way back out. Our personal eclipse stories may become clearer during this time as well.

April 19th - Sun enters Taurus, Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus Venus will help sweeten communications during the last week of Mercury's regression.

April 20th - Jupiter conjunct Uranus This brings freedom, liberation, and sudden rapid growth--completely different from the Mars-Saturn activity earlier this month. This may also set us up for the Jupiter-Mars conjunction later this summer. The Uranus in Taurus story has brought labor organizing and unions to prominence, so expect those stories to intensify during this conjunction. General keywords: technological breakthroughs and scientific discoveries, sudden revelations and growth, revolutions, rupture, and unexpected shifts. This conjunction takes place every 14 years, so Chris expects new discoveries, optimism and "quantum leaps" or new precedents in some fields. In Taurus this is related to food and agriculture--in addition to new technologies we'll likely see further developments with the farmer's protests in India and Europe. Finance and money is another Taurus signification, so disruptions in banks & questions about decentralizing currency may arise. Freedom, rebellion, and general eccentricity become important. We'll feel like anything is possible, but in disregarding the rules and refusing to compromise we may make rash decisions.

The comet Pons-Brooks may also start to become visible during this time. It comes by about every 80 years and is named for its 18th century discoverers. Ancient literature on comets is similar to that of eclipse: an ominous phenomenon heralding the deaths of rulers and falls of kingdoms. However, they note the color and appearance as indicating some positive effects when associated with Jupiter, and the planets whose path it crosses are relevant as well. Pons-Brooks passes closely by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, putting an exclamation point on the planetary significations.

April 23rd - Scorpio Full Moon

We're finally out of eclipse season, so things are starting to calm down. However, this lunation (04♏) squares Pluto (02♒), bringing some conflict in. It'll be stabilizing, but not necessarily comforting. Acceptance is bittersweet medicine. The full moon illuminates the deep transformative experiences Pluto brings to the early degrees of fixed signs in our charts. We're really getting to the bedrock of things. When Venus enters Taurus she'll square Pluto, and Mars will trine Pluto when he enters Aries. With those personal planets in domicile, it'll feel like coming home, but home is a little different. Pluto will retrograde soon and Chris predicts this station will bring major events in AI and related technologies. Mars is also quickly nearing his conjunction with Neptune, bringing the weaponization of these technologies.

April 25th - Mercury stations direct

April 28th - Mars conjunct Neptune (typo in image) Aside from weaponization of AI and social media, Mars-Neptune also connotes the manipulation of reality for political purposes. Revealing that a shocking news story was actually false wont necessarily diffuse the feelings it arose. Even if it didn't happen, you may still hold resentment towards the wrong target. Think the "fog of war" or shadowboxing. Other keywords include conflicts in or about water, idealism & ideologically-charged conflicts, confusion, acid, corrosion, lethargy, sapped vitality, and unnecessary martyrdom.

April 29th - Venus enters Taurus She immediately squares Pluto. Venus in domicile brings us to the election for the month:

April 29th - Selected auspicious election (not pictured)

Set the chart for about 12:55PM local time, which gets you Leo rising with the Ascendant ruler Sun in the 10th whole sign house in Taurus, where it's copresent with Jupiter, Uranus, and Venus. This chart is good for 10th house matters like career, reputation, social standing, overall life direction and accomplishing goals. The Moon is in Capricorn, applying to a trine with Jupiter, bringing support. Mercury has stationed direct, bringing us away from some of the delays and issues we experienced earlier. Even the Mars-Saturn conjunction is about as far away as we can get, and a day chart Jupiter conjunct Uranus brings creativity to our efforts. Diana associates the 10th house with the gestating parent and thus recommends doing something nice for your mom now.

April 30th - Mars enters Aries Entering firey and decisive Aries, Mars is no longer encumbered by slow Saturn and diffuse Neptune. This complete chapter change comes with a sextile to Pluto--the tone shift will feel like getting our oxygen back. This opens us up for a lot of quick movements through Aries and Gemini in May.

[ton-618-ton-618]

2024 March 14

Moon Pi and Mountain Shadow

Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Lopez (El Cielo de Canarias)

Explanation: What phase of the Moon is 3.14 radians from the Sun? The Full Moon, of course. Even though the Moon might look full for several days, the Moon is truly at its full phase when it is Pi radians (aka 180 degrees) from the Sun in ecliptic longitude. That's opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. Rising as the Sun set on March 9, 2020, only an hour or so after the moment of its full phase, this orange tinted and slightly flattened Moon still looked full. It was photographed opposite the setting Sun from Teide National Park on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Also opposite the setting Sun, seen from near the Teide volcano peak about 3,500 meters above sea level, is the mountain's rising triangular shadow extending into Earth's dense atmosphere. Below the distant ridge line on the left are the white telescope domes of Teide Observatory. Again Pi radians from the Sun, on March 25 the Full Moon will dim slightly as it glides through Earth's outer shadow in a penumbral lunar eclipse.

[elminx]

Energy Update: Saturn enters Pisces 3/7/2023

Today, under the light of our Virgo full moon, Saturn leaves behind the structure of fixed Aquarius for the amalgamous, mutable energy of Pisces. This is a big deal - Saturn stays in any given sign for three years and his sojourn through the signs sets the feeling of time as we experience it.

It is worth noting that while Saturn was in the fixed air sign of Aquarius we experienced a global airborne pandemic that forced us away from society (which Aquarius rulers) and keep us inside our own houses (see also: the unmoving nature of the fixed signs). Saturn entered Aquarius in March of 2020 as the lockdowns were being enacted and we can expect (even more of) the pandemic restrictions to be lifted as time moves on and we enter the season of Saturn in Aquarius.* There is reason to hope that this switchover will end the pandemic altogether, but only time will tell if that comes to pass. Pisces is a very different beast from Aquarius. Where Aquarius holds accountable, corrects, and ultimately changes through the intense combination of its two rulers (Saturn and Uranus); Pisces uses Neptune's energy to dissolve and (hopefully) unify.

Many astrologers like to tout the exalted Piscean virtues of blending and melding together, dissolving boundaries, and universal love. It is worth noting, almost immediately here, that these traits are anathema to the concept of Saturnian time. Saturn widdles us away to the cores of who we are. Saturn controls and corrects to show you what is important. Pisces would like to believe that everything, if melded back into primordial goo, can be equally important but Saturn would like to state that we have moved far beyond the primordial goo phase of existence. Pisces does not want boundaries and accountability and Saturn is made of boundaries and accountability. This conflict is what we are going to have to sit in and process as he makes his slow journey over the next three years. Perhaps it can be said that Pisces NEEDS to constrictive energy of Saturn because universal love without boundaries sounds an awful lot like co-dependency. Perhaps Saturn NEEDS Pisces to be reminded to soften those hard edges.

We will all fall somewhere on that spectrum (based on our own personal charts and life experiences) and where we fall on that spectrum will likely impact how we experience this three-year transit. Nobody is exempt from the pressures that Saturn brings to the table it will affect us all on both a personal level and globally. This transit will most specifically affect individuals with a strong Piscean impact in their natal birth charts and especially those who were born with Saturn IN Pisces who will be experiencing this transit as their Saturn Return. Themes that involve both Piscean and Saturnian energies:

Forgiveness that comes with a heavy dose of responsibility

Healthy boundaries that are both strong AND flexible

Accepting accountability with grace

Daydreaming that leads to constructive planning for the future

Universal love with strong personal boundaries

Social services like UBI or universal healthcare

There is a lot of good that may come of this Saturnian transit but it is the kind of good that you need to take active steps to work for in your life. Saturn demands that you step away from the idea that you can just dream your way into the future (very immature Piscean energy there) and put one foot in front of another to walk towards that fucking goal. If you don't have the effort in you, this is going to be a hard go of things. There's no way around that.

This is a good transit to use towards putting the work into strengthening your spiritual gifts - that is a lovely combination of Piscean and Saturnian energies. But this does come with a caveat (it always does): remember that all that glitters is not gold. Pisces, being the last sign of the horoscope wheel that is ruled by the 12th house of the unconscious, can attract some real creepers if you know what I mean. Not everything that's "for sale" during this three-year transit is going to be for your own good so if you're the gullible type, I suggest putting your skeptic glasses on, stat. If it looks too easy or too good to be true, it probably is. And if it is, it's gonna be extra hard because Saturn is here to rub that lesson right in.

It'll be a wild ride. Pack a life vest if you don't like going off the deep end because this shit is gonna go deep.

*This is not a judgment call on whether restrictions SHOULD be lifted mind you, just an observation of the way that Saturn's influence impacts the many societies of our world.

Do you like my work? You can support me over on Ko-Fi by tipping me or purchasing an astrological report.

[zoxsansnc]

Get to know me (based on xxSabitoxx's)

❤️ how tall are you? 5'2 :(

🧡 what is your sexuality? lesbian

💛 what is your favorite feature on yourself? my eyes, I guess

💚 where are you from? Arizona

🩵 do you have any pets? 2 Shih Tzus and 2 cats

💙 do you have any siblings? older brother even older sister

💜 describe yourself in five words or less! gay ADHD One Piece obsessed

🩷 dream job? vet tech

🖤 Favorite hobbies outside of your blog? Marching band/regular band

🎂 when is your birthday? March 26th

🌙 your zodiac (Sun, Moon, Rising) Aries

💉do you have tattoos and/or piercings? got my ears pierced not that long ago

🚗 can you drive? no :(

✈️ favorite place you’ve traveled? Jerome, Arizona never been anywhere special cuz I hate flying

🎤 have you been to a concert? no, I plan to go to one though

🎵 favorite artists? Mother Mother, Melanie Martinez, Bo Burnham

🎧 last song you listened to? Goodbye - Bo Burnham

📺 last show you watched? One Piece

📝 last thing you wrote? don't do a lot of writing so it was probably something on my blog

🔐 something no one would guess about you? I have a girlfriend and we've been dating for almost 2 years

🧟‍♀️ The scariest thing that’s happened to you? My brother left me :( oh well, I got over it

🔥 craziest thing that’s ever happened to you? high school

🍓 favorite food? my mothers chicken alfredo (that shits better than olive garden)

🍅 least favorite food? spicy

🍊 favorite season? fall/autumn

🍋 favorite genre to read/watch/write? adventure

🍐 if you could make one character real, who would it be? Monkey D Luffy

🫐 someplace you’d love to visit? Chornobyl, Ukraine (after the war, for obvious reasons)

🍇 a word your friends would use to describe you? weird but fun

🍒 what is your earliest memory? walking into my brother's room and him sleeptalk saying "Elmo is that you?" funniest shit ever

🍌 what is one talent you wish you had? empathy I stopped giving a shit about people and their problems after July 5th 2020

💌 why did you start this blog? ZOSAN and Zolu but ZOSAN

✏️ when did you start writing fanfic? never started reading a little after creating a tumble account

🖇️ What are your favorite asks to answer? I don't get any :(

📚 how do you come up with the fics you write? don't write

📌 what is the fic you’re known for? don't write

🔍 what character do you enjoy writing for the most? don't write

🖊️ what character do you not enjoy writing for? don't write

💔 is there a fic you wish you didn’t write? don't write

❤️‍🔥 what character do you simp for most often? luffy cuz he's adorable

🧚‍♀️ favorite characters of all time? any of the straw hats they're so silly

🪐 favorite shows/series of all time? ONE PIECE

🌝 a show you would recommend to anyone? ONE PIECE

🌚 a show you’d tell people to stay away from? riverdale

🌹 favorite kinks to write for? don't write

🥀 kinks you would never write for? don't write

🌊 a kink you would like to write but you think you’d be judged? don't write

❄️ full fics, imagines or head canons? don't write

☂️ your favorite fanfic from another writer? time travel/speed run au

A couple of in depth questions!

🍄 what is something that’s happened in your life that you wish you could go back and change? imma trauma dump real

July 5th, 2020, my brother and I were visiting my dad when he (my brother) said he was going to stay with him (my dad) for 2 more weeks (I was still so upset) sooo, um, yeah it's been almost 4 years, they have been disowned in my mind :)

⭐️ What is one of your biggest accomplishments? Why is it so important to you? getting straight superiors in band MPA for 3 years in a row, and getting over depression ig

🪻what is the toughest thing you had to go through, but can say you’ve successfully overcome? my brother leaving me, but I'm a completely different person and for the better :) (I hate who I was before)

🌺 what is the best gift someone has ever given you and why is it so important? My girlfriend gave me a lion squish mallow with a rainbow mane and rainbow heart on its belly and I love it so much idk why I just love it

🍀 what is your comfort show/series and why is it your comfort show? How has it helped you? ONE PIECE shuns away the dark thoughts (except for marinefort), can't be having those

PLEASE MESSAGE ME I'M BORED ASF AND I WANT SOMEONE TO TALK TO (just comment or message)

[incarnateirony]

hello pagan lovelies. Saturn ascends, choose 1 or 10, hang on or be humbled again; Saturn comes back around to show you everything.

March is a month for monumental change as six planets shift signs, one for the first time in three years, another for the first time in fifteen. Expect life to speed up quite a bit as Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun enter Aries, a fast-paced fire sign, preparing us for uncharted territory in the months ahead. March, however, kicks off with a visually stunning alignment of Venus and Jupiter, a yearly event that tends to bring positive manifestations—and signals a great time to travel, especially for trips focused on connection, pleasure, joy, and entertainment.

Another big shift taking place this year is Saturn’s entry into Pisces on Tuesday, March 7, which coincides with the Virgo full moon. Saturn spends nearly three years in each sign, making this an important and notable change, as Saturn first entered Aquarius in March 2020. It’s movement into Pisces is a huge deal, signaling a shift in our responsibilities, limitations, and how we structure our lives. The Virgo full moon happening in the sign opposite Pisces on this day brings a spotlight to the ways we show up in service to others, while Saturn in Pisces reminds us of our duties to the collective. The problems that you may have been facing personally and collectively over the last three years are resolving as new challenges arise. How you take care of yourself and others throughout these changes is what matters the most.

[ds-miracle]

DS_MIRACLE (Official Profiles)

Name: DS_Miracle (Internacional)

디에스 미라클 (dieseu milakeul) Korea.

DS ミラクル (DS mirakuru) Japan.

DS 奇迹 (DS qíjī) China.

Name Meaning: The “D” stands for Dreams, “S” Shine, and Miracle, because for them, meeting each other was a miracle in the pursuit of their dreams, and it is through their music that they want to help create a shining future.

Greeting: In the Sky! Hello, We are DS_Miracle!

Fandom: Sunshine

Fandom Name Meaning: They are the ray of sunshine that illuminates the girls' path, their motivation to continue shining and help others find their own brilliance.

Fandom Colors: Baby Pink, Lilac and Sky Blue.

Member Count: 9 (5 Koreans, 2 Chineses, 1 Japanese and 1 Thai)

Label: STAR Entertainment (Korea), Capitol Records Label and Universal Music Group (USA).

MEMBERS:

MARIE (마리) 

Born: Zhong Marie (仲玛丽)

Birthday/Hometown: Jan. 7, 2000 (Beijing, China)

Nationality: Chinese-Australian

Position: Leader, Lead Vocalist.

Specialty: Singer, Dancer, Model and MC

Representative Color: White

Representative Emoji: Donut 🍩

Idol Claim: Winter (Aespa)

Voice Claim: Winter (Aespa)

AURA (아우라) 

Born: Park Yeon-Ji (박연지)

Birthday/Hometown: March 14, 2001 (Busan, South Korea)

Nationality: Korean

Position: Rapper and dancer.

Specialty: Singer, Rapper, Composer and Model.

Representative Color: Grey

Representative Emoji: Moon 🌑

Idol Claim: Handong (Dreamcatcher)

Voice Claim: Hyo (SNSD)

OLLIE (올리) 

Born: Kang Geum (강금)

Birthday/Hometown: Sept. 7, 2001 (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Nationality: Korean

Position: Lead vocalist and lead dancer.

Specialty: Singer, Dancer and MC

Representative Color: Pink

Representative Emoji: Koala 🐨

Idol Claim: Swan (Purple Kiss)

Voice Claim: Nayeon (Twice)

HYE (혜)

Born: Kim Julia (김 줄리아)

Birthday/Hometown: Oct. 18, 2001 (Gran Valparaíso, Chile)

Nationality: Korean-Chilean

Position: Main rapper and dancer.

Specialty: Composer and Rapper.

Representative Color: Purple

Representative Emoji: Spiderweb 🕸️

Idol Claim: Swan (Purple Kiss)

Voice Claim: Dami (Dreamcatcher)

MAY (메이)

Born: Xiang Mei (香梅)

Birthday/Hometown: March 14 (Shangai, China)

Nationality: Chinese.

Position: Main vocalist and visual.

Specialty: Singer, Dancer, Composer, Actress and Model.

Representative Color: Blue

Representative Emoji: Star 🌟

Idol Claim: Bibi (soloist)

Voice Claim: Jihyo (Twice)

GRACE (그레이스)

Born: Grace Thepnakorn (เกรซ เทพนคร)

Birthday/Hometown: June 22, 2002 (Kanchanaburi, Thailand)

Nationality: Venezuelan-Thai

Position: Main dancer, rappper and sub-vocalist.

Specialty: Singer, Dancer and MC.

Representative Color: Black.

Representative Emoji: Medusa 🪼

Idol Claim: Natty (Kiss Of Life)

Voice Claim: Natty (Kiss Of Life)

CELINE (셀린느)

Born: Watanabe Kyomi (渡辺京美)

Birthday/Hometown: August 2, 2002 (Osaka, Japan)

Nationality: Japanese

Position: Rapper and dancer.

Specialty: Singer, Dancer and Model.

Representative Color: Yellow

Representative Emoji: Turtle 🐢

Idol Claim: Kazuha (Le Sserafim)

Voice Claim: Rei (IVE)

ANGEL (엔젤)

Born: Angel Lee (엔젤 리)

Birthday/Hometown: Oct 8, 2003 (Icheon, South Korea)

Nationality: Korean-American

Position: Vocalist and visual.

Specialty: Singer, Songwriter, Model and Dancer.

Representative Color: Red

Representative Emoji: Cupcake 🧁

Idol Claim: Sullyoon (NMIXX)

Voice Claim: Sullyoon (NMIXX)

ANNA (안나)

Born: Kim Anna (김하나)

Birthday/Hometown: May 16, 2005 (Madrid, Spain)

Nationality: Korean-Spanish

Position: Vocalist and sub-rapper

Specialty: Singer, Model and Actress.

Representative Color: Green

Representative Emoji: Sunflower 🌻

Idol Claim: Eunchae (Le Sserafim)

Voice Claim: Seun (StayC)

DISCOGRAPHY:

01. Me & You (1st single album) - Nov. 8th, 2020

02. So Good (2nd single album) - Feb. 7th, 2021

03. M&M (3rd single album) - June 13th, 2021

04. Magical Lullaby (1st Mini Album) - Dec, 10th, 2021

05. Dream On (2nd Mini Album) - May 15th, 2022

06. Miracle Stars (3rd Mini Album) - Oct. 20th, 2022

07. The Love Syndrome (4th Mini Album) - Jan 17th, 2023

08. The Feels (1st Full Album) - Aug. 12th, 2023

09. The Spark (5th mini album) - Feb. 14th, 2024

SPECIAL UNITS: ° Miracle_125: Hye (01), Grace, Celine, May (02) and Anna (05)

01. The Spice (single album) - Oct. 5th, 2023

°DS_031: Marie (00), Ollie, Aura (01) and Angel (03)

01. The Gleam (Single Album) - Dec. 5th, 2023

[kakiastro]

Messages from the Forest🌳: intuitive Reading 4

Pick a card

Hey y’all I’m back with another reading! This time I’m just going to list what I see instead of my usual paragraph . Trying something new for the new year! Let’s see what the forest has to say. Trees are one of the oldest things on earth! Let’s see what knowledge they want to tell you💚

Disclaimer: this is just for entertainment purposes, take what resonates and leave the rest

Take 3 deep breaths , choose the pile that you feel the most, more than one may resonate

1. 2. 3.

4.

1

Black moon Lilith and healing came to me. Lilith represents dark feminine energy but with healing here, you’re tapping into your inner power.

Scorpio and Pluto energy so some of you may have this in your birth chart. Cancer energy as well. Wait some of you all are healing family trauma, breaking generational curses. This is very specific but I heard grandma sue?? Love birds just popped into my head as well so ok there’s 2 energies, one group is breaking family trauma and the other is relationship trauma. You’re tapping into your dark inner power and realizing that you may have to make people uncomfortable with your truth but it’s for the greater good in the long run.

Morticia Addams?

Goddess Calypso??

Thunderstorms, I’m getting the energy of you all are purging some deep stuff, you’re going through your thunderstorms, I’m seeing flying branches 😭I know healing is can be very chaotic and intense but after every thunderstorm, there’s peace, calm and renewal. I do feel like a lot of you started your healing process the end of last year and is still currently purging stuff but feel like you’re almost done with a cycle because I started to smell the dew scent after a bad storm, I don’t know how describe it lol but I also saw the forming of a rainbow, like not quite a full one but the beginning of one. I heard “March will be the beginning of everything” which is perfect cause it’s spring time! I also saw the image of a willow tree flowing in the wind. Hang in there pile one! You’re so close!!

2

3 different energies here. First group is starting to get the recognition they deserve from career, 2nd group is starting to feel confident in themselves again after being sad for so long and 3rd group is discovering new talents they didn’t know they had. So choose what resonates here

First group- im not getting much but I am hearing the words “validation” and “about time” I also started hearing lizzo song “about damn time”😅 for many of you , i feel like you’re an artist and have been working on projects for a while without getting any fruition for it but people are starting to notice! All that hard work over the months and years is paying off darlings! “The sun is shining through your branches” is what I heard

2nd group- look up “feeling myself” by Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. I’m not sure if some of y’all are fans of these ladies or that’s the energy you’re in right now but that song came to me loud 😅. I’m seeing an image of some type of mirror covering and hands is snatching it off. I believe some of you all didn’t feel your best physically and you didn’t like looking in the mirror but not anymore! You’re snatching that cover off cause you’re ready to look in that mirror and embrace all of you! Yesss!!! Justin Timberlake song “sexy back” is playing in my head, I keep hearing “new year, new me”. Last year was a “shit year” I’m hearing but I’m feeling hopeful. I just had an image of Faeries dancing haha they’re happy for you to!

3rd group- okay I feel like you discovered some talents during lockdown era in 2020-2021 but just now really taking them seriously and wanting to make a business or just put your work out there! I’m hearing “go for it”, you discovered these gifts and talents for a reason and it’s meant for you show them to the world! I’m hearing “start researching, and planning”

Capricorn/Saturn, Aries, Virgo and Gemini energy

3

I know this is a forest messages but I’m picking up more of a hiking trail energy. Like I’m getting an image of someone walking somewhere but still surrounded by forest and tree life.

This group is either in the process or has found their life calling. I feel like some of you are exploring if this is what you want to do with your life. I feel like a lot of you had a euphony and realized this is it. Few of you are exploring the spiritual side of things, I feel like some of you all are getting interested In astrology or at least open to it and wanting dip your toes in the pool so to speak. I’m seeing the world globe so for some it’s exploring new cultures, I’m seeing a temple so it could be other religions that’s different from what you were raised in. I’m so sorry for the mixed messages but I’m picking up so many things! It’s a new year so people discovering and exploring lol.

“No matter what path you choose, the trees will always be with you” this is very specific but someone grandfather wanted to let you know that, do you guys have Native American ancestry? I’m asking cause an image of a chief warrior just came to me omg! I’m feeling an elder energy and getting an image of hawk and owl so those are animals either you relate too or their animals your elder relates too omg!

4h/Cancer, Saturn, Sagittarius, Pisces, mercury/6h energy

4

This is going to sound uhh crazy but this pile feels like the aftermath of pile one so you guys might want to check that one out too

I feel this pile was going through some thunderstorms too but I feel like you all are coming up out of it and about to step into the light so to speak. After being trapped in the forbidden forest for so long you’re finally able to see Hogwarts. Don’t ask me why I just made that Harry Potter reference😅, that’s what came to me so some of y’all might be fans of the series.

For a few of you I’m picking up that you’ve left some toxic people in your life and you’re finally able to feel some type of hope, the song “free”by Deniece Willams came to me so listen to that song, it might be a message for you in there

12h, Cancer, Taurus, Aquarius energy

As a collective (all piles) I feel like we are going to have an abundant year! That can mean a variety of things and it’s going to be different for everyone . I had an image of the Amazon rainforest after a long thunderstorm. It was green and luxurious. We may all be at different growth spurts in our journey but we’re all beautiful trees, Remember that

[tarabyte3]

Having a terrible headspace/imposter syndrome/continued writer's block day. So have some more of my poetry instead. No pretty graphics this time. Just 4 poems with a decade between them.

I am lily-like,

To the Gardener

open and blushing, petals

speckled in salmon.

I want you to cup

and caress my blossom face,

the curve of throat down

to my long-stemmed sway

of hips, full figured flora

ready for pollen.

Pistil and stamen,

yellow fingers stretched outward

from their corolla

casing to bathe in

raindrops and breezes. Pluck me,

roots and bulb heavy.

Inhale my flower

sex—fragrant. Waiting for you

to see my ripeness

and hang me to dry

beside the aster, pansy,

rose, chrysanthemum.

- March, 2010

The Buried

The ivy here reaches up

like many greedy hands

groping stone, embraced

in a patient game of tug of war.

At every turn there are dunes

of vines, erratic tangled masses

where the ivy has won,

burying the plaques

like their patrons

interred below.

We are, all of us,

returned to the earth.

Not through a yawning chasm,

but boxed neatly and regifted.

Some are charred to ash

and dust and scattered, ghosts

of embers catching wind gusts

until they settle, are swallowed

still by dirt. By inevitability.

Though our markers and monuments

are lost to time, the ground

never forgets us. It carries

the memory of our bones

in soil and tells the living,

"This was life once, too."

- October, 2020

To the Moon

I have seen a full moon drive a man

crazy as a woman can, so you must

be a woman with thick red hair.

The Greeks call you Selene—

brightness, moon-faced woman,

curved, voluptuous night figure.

My body swells as you do, waxes

to fullness each month

until we are emptied and new.

You must be a woman who knows

how dark the world can be

on a moonless night—

I have watched men crying

for the moon in alleyways

at two in the morning.

- April, 2010

Light

I want to be a light.

I want to burn, beacon

bright and leave

neon shadows behind

your eyelids when you look

away. The impression

of me more than an echo.

A brand. A memory

that sharpens into focus

whenever you smell

my perfume in a crowded

grocery store or hear

raindrops patter rhythms

on your windshield.

You see, light leaks

when it's strong enough

and I want to leave you

with enough to brighten

anywhere you might go.

- February, 2020

[saturniandevil]

March 2023 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's March forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and Leisa Schaim. This month is full of major shifts, especially in the outer planets. Our hosts connect the massive earthquake in Syria & Turkey to the Leo Full Moon (halfway between eclipses) activating the Saturn-Uranus square; Chris encourages listeners to donate to the rescue and rebuild efforts. Leisa connects the Ohio train derailment to the Sun-Uranus square going exact hours later, while the Mars-Neptune square indicates a chemical spill. Autsin points out Mars has been on the royal star Aldeberan very exactly for 6 weeks, indicating movement of large, heavy equipment. Mars in Gemini connotes "aerial threats", Austin had described the Mars-Neptune square as bubbles or balloons popping (especially economically), and one literally got popped with the weather and hobbyist balloons the US military shot down. The Mars-Neptune square hits three times due to the retrograde, and Chris calls to a metaphor of the planets being linked by a rubber band--the effects stay more prominent because it'll bounce back. Some of the anxiety about AI developments may be related to movements in Aquarius: the Saturn return of the Internet is about to end and Pluto's entrance may further unearth unpleasantness recorded there.

March 1st/2nd - Venus conjunct Jupiter, Mercury enters Pisces Venus-Jupiter in Aries brings a celebratory, initiatory energy to our new month. A Mercury-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius is one of the last aspects Saturn makes in this sign, allowing us to reflect on how far we've come. Saturn has been in domicile since late 2017 (and Aquarius specifically since 2020), so let's concretely think about all the changes of the last half-decade or so.

March 6th/7th - Saturn enters Pisces, Full Moon in Virgo Saturn changing signs will open up a new chapter for all of us. The ingress happens soon after the Moon and Sun conjoin at 16 Pisces. Leisa suggests the Virgo moon may bring in some facts to Gemini's frenzied information and Pisces' ambiguity, though overall the square will accentuate existing mutable tensions (we may see more balloons popped). The lunation will highlight Neptune squaring Mars, which we can think of as "the fog of war," being prodded to move without knowing where to go, or overly idealistic actions.

Back to Saturn, for the rest of the year he will be hanging out in the first decan of Pisces, of which he is decan ruler. Austin compares it to The Truman Show or The Matrix, where we are aware that what we've taken for reality is a constructed thing. A confusing but illuminating journey that we're ready for. Saturn will also be copresent with Neptune, which Chris describes as "reality-bending." Between Pisces and Aries, we're going to have 5 years of Saturn-Neptune. Leisa also predicts a restructuring of faith, using the play Waiting for Godot as an example. She also brings up that the Fukushima power plant damaged in the 2011 earthquake & tsunami is now announcing it needs to release the water it's stored, but there's concerns over one of the tanks being untreated. There's some further Saturn in Pisces discussion in the year ahead forecast.

In a personal level, focus on what house of your chart Saturn will enter. It will bring consolidation and restructuring or a need for more structure due to heavier weight, whether that is unwanted or long-sought-after responsibilities. Saturn is reliably heavy, sober, and austere. What do you actively want to put a lot of time and energy into? It's like swimming with weights on: how do we stay buoyant while being weighed down?

March 15th - Sun conjunct Neptune This activates a Neptune-Mars square with Mercury involved the next day.

March 16th - Venus enters Taurus Mars also squares Neptune exactly on this day while Mercury is conjunct Neptune, which our hosts consider the most important configuration of the month. Things will be confusing and messy. A best case scenario would be vigorous experimental poetry, though you don't have to go out of your way to participate in difficult transits if you're not already caught up in it.

Mercury is getting a heavy beating in the month, but Venus is in okay position: in Aries she's copresent Jupiter, and while dogged by Uranus and the North Node in Taurus, she's in domicile. There's some relief in the fixed signs now, at last Venus no longer has to fight Saturn in this sign. (She does square Pluto, however.)

March 17th - Sun conjunct Mercury

March 19th - Mercury enters Aries

March 20th - Sun enters Aries

March 21st - New Moon in Aries This foreshadows the upcoming eclipse in Aries and continues the focus on Aries we've been feeling all month. This lunation is also within 3 degrees of an out-of-sign square to its ruler Mars. Seeing no path to our goals, we'll be cut our own way through the fog instead of trying to find an existing one.

March 22nd/23rd - Pluto enters Aquarius Saturn hands things off to Pluto. Leisa brings up the Gonzalez vs. Google and Twitter vs. Taamneh cases being heard in the Supreme Court, the rulings of which have serious outcomes for who has control over the Internet and who's legally liable for content on social media. Pluto spends so long in a sign it retrogrades over every degree, so the changes are lasting. In a few years Uranus in Gemini will trine Pluto, bringing questions around technology into more focus. On the optimistic side, we can think of emerging medical technologies vastly improving standards of living for everyone.

March 22nd - electional chart for the month

Around 2PM local time on March 22nd with Leo rising, this takes advantage of the Sun exalted in Aries in the 9th along with Jupiter, the Moon, and the Midheaven (try to get the MC applying to Moon-Jupiter if you can; otherwise focus on keeping Leo rising). Venus is in domicile in Taurus. This is a good general-purpose chart, especially good for 9th house matters, though friends & alliances specifically won't fare as well with Mars in the 11th house. Here Chris also mentions it's important to consider how similar electional charts are to your own birth chart.

March 25th/26th - Mars enters Cancer This usually isn't an ideal sign for Mars, but it'll be a relief to get away from Neptune and move at regular speed after 8 months in Gemini. We're closing down one major chapter and entering into a new one, though not a space of satisfaction so much as a morose, moody space as we wait for the next thing. There's a trine to Saturn in fellow water sign Pisces, which may add some structure and subdue tensions. Jupiter in Aries is also overcoming Mars from the superior square (with reception), further keeping conflicts in check. Using a physical exercise analogy, we're not reaching a new level so much as rehabbing an old injury or strengthening muscles to prevent future ones. Think security, like making emergency kits for times of natural disaster.

March 28th - Mercury conjunct Neptune

March 28th - Venus conjunct Pluto This occurs on the degree of a recent eclipse and may therefore be more prominent that usually expected.

[aroomwithspace]

Lucia Bosé (1931-2020) by Truus, Bob & Jan too! Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 270. Today, 23 March 2020, Italian actress Lucia Bosé passed away in Brieva, Spain. She died of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus. Bosé was famous for her films from the 1950s with a.o. Giuseppe De Santis and Michelangelo Antonioni. In the same years and after she also worked with other famous directors such as Juan Bardem, Luis Buñuel, the Taviani brothers, Liliane Cavani, Francesco Rosi, and Ferzan Özpetek. Lucie Bosé was 89. Lucia Bosè was born Lucia Borloni in Milan, Italy in 1931. She comes from a peasant and working-class family and began to work at the age of twelve years. She was first a messenger for a law firm, later a clerk in Milan's fine pastry shop Galli. In 1947 she participated in the first Miss Italy pageant, where she was able to win against competitors like Gianna Maria Canale, Eleonora Rossi Drago, and Gina Lollobrigida. Had Giuseppe De Santis still preferred Silvana Mangano for Riso amaro/Bitter Rice (1949), he chose Bosè for his next film, Non c'è pace tra gli ulivi/No peace among the olive trees (Giuseppe De Santis, 1950), a typical Neorealist film about a poor shepherd (Raf Vallone) who tries steal back his sheep stolen from him while he was at war. In the same year, Bosé starred opposite Massimo Girotti in the well-to-do set, modernist crime story and drama Cronaca di un amore/Story of a love affair (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1950). It was Antonioni's first full length feature film, about an adulterous couple plotting to kill her husband. Numerous screen engagements followed. Antonioni cast her again in La signora senza camelie/The Lady Without Camelias (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1953) about a newly discovered starlet and her experiences in the Italian cinema. Juan Bardem cast her in Muerte di un ciclista/Death of a Cyclist (1955) about an adulterous couple that runs over a cyclist and leaves him to die. Bosé also acted in Francesco Maselli's debut Gli sbandati/The Abandoned (1955) and Luis Buñuel's Cela s'appelle l'aurore/That Is the Dawn (1956). In 1955 Lucia Bosè married Luis Miguel Dominguín, a five years older, popular Spanish bullfighter and occasional actor. From the marriage, which ended in divorce in 1967, sprang three children, two of whom - Paola Dominguin and Miguel Bosé - are also active as actors. Luchino Visconti was godfather to her son Miguel, Pablo Picasso to her daughter Paola. At the time, Lucia Bosè lived in Spain and put her career on halt, except for a sporadic appearance in Le testament d'Orphée/Testament of Orpheus (Jean Cocteau, 1959). In 1968 Bosé returned to film acting after almost a ten-year break and worked first in Spain and afterward in Italy. There she worked among others in Federico Fellini's Satyricon (1969), the Taviani Brothers' Sotto il segno dello scorpione/Under the Sign of Scorpio (1969), and Liliana Cavani's L'ospite/The Guest (1972). Other interesting films with her were Nathalie Granger (Marguerite Duras, 1972), Lumière (Jeanne Moreau, 1976) and Violanta (Daniel Schmid, 1977). After 1978, she acted significantly less but remained active, also on television. She had memorable film performances in Cronaca di una morte annunciata/Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Francesco Rosi, 1987) starring Rupert Everett, El niño de la Luna/Moon Child (Agustí Villaronga, 1989), Harem suaré/Harem (Ferzan Özpetek, 1999) and I vicerè/The Viceroy (Roberto Faenza, 2007). Her most recent screen appearance was in Alfonsina y el mar/One more time (Pablo Benedetti, David Sordella, 2013), as an 80-year-old actress who returns to the small Chilean town of her youth to fulfill her father's dream of creating a TV channel in a place which has never known television. Sources: CinéArtistes (French), Wikipedia (German, English, and Italian) and IMDb. https://flic.kr/p/2iH3q9T