#or even having themselves romanticized because of their source

[morlock-holmes]

So, people explaining that AI isn't "real art" bother me, not so much because of the answer they reach but because most of the people saying it isn't seem to romanticize not just commercial art production, but also bizarrely to romanticize AI as well, in ways that bother me for subtle reasons I want to try to articulate.

So, first of all, I personally don't think fine art will be changed much by AI.

"What if the artist isn't directly producing the art but instead letting some process create it?"

Convergence by Jackson Pollock, 1952

"What if the so called "artist" is merely rearranging and recontextualizing something that already exists?"

"What if the artist outsources a tremendous amount of work?"

Cambell's Soup Can, Andy Warhol, 1968

The fine art world already confronted these questions and answered between 1912 and, what, 1980 at the latest maybe?

My point here is not to assert the artistic worth of these paintings but to assert their undeniable importance to 20th century art history.

Nobody paying thousands of dollars for a traditional painting on canvas is going to buy an AI version because it's cheaper; such people are already paying a premium for artistic technique and cultivated human talent.

Or, alternatively, I have absolutely no doubt that people would pay a lot for an AI project with, I don't know, Banksy's name on it, even if it was made with freely available, open source tools, because in other cases people are paying for, essentially, a name.

The fine art community already confronted the questions raised by AI art and we're already on the other side of that confrontation. Statistically, the large battles being waged over these issues already finished before you were born.

The actually (potentially) endangered part of the art world is the commercial art world.

Not fine art, but art produced as part of an essentially commercial process in large part under the direction of other people. Fan Art, scripts for films, stock footage, key art used for commercial campaigns, pulp fiction cover illustrations, etc.

And, first of all, the reason that you can be so romantically attached to low-brow, heavily commercial art in the way that you are without feeling utterly absurd about it is Marcel Duchamp's Fountain and the works of Andy Warhol, so maybe have a bit more respect for them and their place in history if you are going to romanticize commercial art production.

Second, because it is those things that are threatened, defenses of human art against AI tend to have this kind of implicit view that the things which characterize commercial pop art are the most important characteristics of art. There is something about this that kind of bothers me for reasons I have trouble bringing up.

Okay, like, one I just watched a YouTube video where the creator said, more or less, "Can you imagine a world where people are so alienated from the production of art that instead of learning to produce it themselves, they type 'woman painting a picture' into a box on a computer and something just pops out?"

The video background was stock footage of a woman painting.

You have this really obnoxious trend of people who make monetized YouTube videos out of other people's copyrighted clips (Claiming "Fair use") talking about how awful it is for AI to "steal" other people's works, and people who fill their videos with stock footage and library tracks talking about how crazy it is that anybody would want to outsource this stuff instead of learning to do it themselves.

But also, beneath that, there is a kind of picture of "What's important about art" that is being built purely out of commercial concerns but masquerading as belief in something higher, and that really bugs me. Stock footage is elevated to the highest of human endeavors purely because it is commercially threatened by AI production.

[whumpster-dumpster]

This is for those "moral discourse" asks, because I think they truly need to hear this.

YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON BECAUSE YOU LIKE WHUMP OF ANY KIND!

Are you hurting an actual living person? Are you actually assaulting someone you can see, feel, touch? No? Then you're not doing any harm. You cannot hurt someone by writing a story. As long as you tag correctly, that's up to them to filters themselves out. If they see the tags and still read, and then blame you for getting triggered, that's on them. They made a choice that they didn't like the consequences of. It has to do with them not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions, and they believe if they make you feel bad enough, they can force you to do it. Don't let them blame you for their actions.

Regardless, whump has been a part of literature since literature's creation. It just didn't have a name the way it does now. We can read older manuscripts and see "wine-dark sea" and still understand that it means the ocean, right? It's the same thing with whump. Plenty of older, classic (western) novels have whump in them, or whumpy themes, we just don't call them whump stories. Older tv shows have whump in them, movies from the silent era have whump in them. The wonderful Star Trek ladies who built the fandom and fanfiction experience wrote stories with whump in them. We've always been here, we just haven't always had a name, or the kind of community we have now because of the internet. Daniel Jackson may have given us the name whump, but he was never the original source of it. Fuck, I'd been writing whump before the term was created!

I will say it again. You are not a bad person, and you're not a bad person for writing dark themes, even things like sexual assault or torture. Romanticizing pain has become one of the "purity testers" buzz words they've been throwing around lately, because they think it's effective to discourage people from doing what they think is wrong. But some people think that the Earth is flat, and some people think the moon landing was fake. and while they're entitled to their own opinions, that doesn't make them true.

If the only people who were allowed to write about dark themes were the people who experienced them, then a) millions of books would disappear overnight and b) we'd know exactly what that person went through even though it's a horribly personal trauma and c) we'd have to make them prove it. Honestly, those who write it who haven't been through it help those who write it who have been through it. So we don't have to automatically assume people's deepest traumas and the worst days of their lives, and we don't have to demand proof of those people.

Don't live your life based on what other people think is wrong, you'll never be able to enjoy anything again. There will always be something wrong with every piece of media, every hobby, every single experience humans can have. If you're still worried, then write for yourself, and figure out whether or not you want to post it. You cannot romanticize anything for yourself. If there's a judgement call inside your head when no one else has read your fic, that's other people's words in your head and that's not fair to you. You do not have to live by other people's morals, especially the ones you don't know.

Also, imo, there's nothing wrong with sadism as long as you're not hurting another real live person. There's a whole community that's been around for a ridiculous amount of time where sadism is part of their name (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) and that's a controlled, safe space where pain and pleasure (not necessarily sexual) mix together. That's what writing whump/being in the whump community is. A safe space to feel and inflict pain in a place where that is controlled and accepted.

tbh, that original anon sounded a bit like a teenager, so I'm gonna continue as if you are. You have been raised in an environment where any deviation from societal norms is severely punished, and unfortunately, you're growing up in a recessive time, where conservatism is becoming the loudest voice. But just because they can scream louder than we can doesn't mean we need to live by their rules. At the end of the day, you only have to live with yourself, you don't have to live with their choices. If anyone tells you that hurting a fictional character is just as bad as hurting a real live person, even yourself, remember that thousands of main and side characters in media of all kinds have been killed off or tortured or disabled, and not a single real life person has ever been injured or killed because of it. There is no book that's ever been published where it's words alone have hurt a real life person. The worst injury a book can give you is a papercut. (or a bruise from dropping it on yourself)

Give yourself room to breathe, kid. You don't need to figure out everything about yourself and your life in one day. You've got your whole life ahead of you, and you should enjoy it whenever you can.

.

[movingthisblogcelestialtarot11]

Solar Return Observations ☀️✨

Hi friends! Today we’re discussing solar return notes + what I’ve observed from them. I’ve been observing for three years, but I’m not able to fit all of the details in one post. I can always make another 🦋 enjoy and feel free to like, comment and reblog.

Chiron in the 7th house 💌- Healing through partnership and connections. I’ve had this placement last year and went through a breakup which taught me a lot about self worth (Aries ruled 7th house SR) and I learned to stand up for myself. I learned to be my own best friend and start over after a loss. Everything in terms of my relationship and how I viewed it changed completely. It was a pretty long journey, being that Chiron is the wounded healer, I’d say about a year the cycles were going on. Anyone who has this placement in their SR chart, you can expect for healing to occur in your relationships. Not necessarily a breakup always, but definitely wounding will come up that year.

Neptune in the 6th house 🌷- Routines can be heavily centered around spirituality. Meditation, yoga, occult practices become a theme in the daily life. Incorporating this can help the native grow and develop a consistent routine, and eventually connect with a higher source of love (deity, religion, universe, etc) because Neptune is the higher octave of Venus. With Neptune here there’s an emphasis on romanticizing daily routine and self care. Certain day to day events can feel whimsical, ethereal, and fated even! The native may question that year their beliefs and want to start something new, or reignite spiritual passions ✨

Moon in the 4th house 🌙🌟- Romanticizing the past, viewing things from a nostalgic lenses, daydreaming about a family. The native may deal with family illusions around this time, manipulation, or themes surrounding the family this year. The native might find it difficult to balance their life as family is an important theme for the year, whether it’s their own, or biological. The mother could be significant this year, and the mother may try to build a close bond with the native. The past is viewed from a bittersweet lenses, as there’s an element of moving on but honoring the past for what it was.

Capricorn 4th house 🦋✨- Structure, evolution, and discipline is needed regarding the home. Things may be slow, sluggish, or even depressing in the house. Saturn slows things down and when Capricorn is in the 4th, it can point to restrictions, boundaries, and limits. The native will learn to have boundaries with the family that year, and the value of alone time. The necessity of independence, and rebuilding structure in terms of roots. New job, new ways of managing finances, moving homes even. The native may feel uncomfortable that year within their home, they could feel detached even more than usual, and may long for an actual home of their own. Their own independence apart from family. Family could be stricter that year, and family events may be limited.

Saturn in the 6th house 🤍🌹- Structure, routine, discipline through health. The native may develop a stable gym routine and eating habits that year, and their health will improve with dedication and practice! They may choose a better diet, and learn about proper nutrition that year, and take care of their digestive system especially. Even energetically, the native will find themselves not wanting to consume shows or channels that are stressful. The native is meant to build a stable routine with their health.

11th house stellium 🌷🥂- Emphasis on networking, friends and meeting new people. Lots of people will want to meet the native, and will try to talk to the native. It’s easier to meet people this year, and to form new connections. Even strangers will randomly strike up a conversation with the native. Potential for meeting a marriage partner or best friend is strong! Potential for growing famous online is also strong, you may start an online business or be online a lot more this year.

11th house sun ☀️✨- Finding others is how you come back to yourself. What kind of community will you center yourself around? This year the native will try to figure out what kinds of friends they want, and where they belong. Through others the native comes to themselves, and people will teach a lot to the native. Not necessarily handing out wisdom, but there will be situations in which the native has to choose their own community and their beliefs compared to what everyone else wants.

11th house Venus 🦋🤍- Having friends and community becomes important, and the native realizes the importance of it all this year. Lots of people may want to date and get to know the native, as the 11th house is public. The native will be seen a lot more by others, around the place and people may actually make comments about that (I’ve had that happen with this placement many times!) The native will find that somehow the people around them come the right time when they need help too. Almost as if they’re blessed 💘 The native learns a lot about detachment from others expectations, and opinion. It’s about finding what works for them not for others this year. Potential for dating online is strong! And meeting someone through a dating app or social media.

Mars in the 12th house 💗🌹- The natives abilities and effort may struggle to be seen and recognized. There’s a sense that the natives effort is hidden, and the native feels unseen. It’s important this year the native keeps their plans and goals hidden as there could be others who want to criticize negatively. Especially with virgo 12th house! People may expect perfection from the native this year, or the native will struggle with perfectionist tendencies, and eventually will be the self undoing (12th house) Perfectionism is the natives enemy this year, and the native will have to find ways to understand themselves and work on their tendencies. There’s a chance to end up injured or hurt this year, so be cautious. The zodiac sign in that house will tell you where. For example if you have Virgo 12th house, your stomach in some way could struggle this year or be injured.

North Node in the 8th house ☕️💌- Leaving behind the material realm for the spiritual. Native is involved heavily with healing, releasing, and esoteric practices. The native eventually finds balance towards the end of the year with the material realm, but will likely find 6-8 months of deep inner work. Boundaries regarding spirituality get muddled as the native explores their psyche, uncovering new experiences! Healing and transformation through the past, to be in the present. Certain relationships can fall apart as it’s not aligned with the natives growth. Jobs may change as the native adjusts to their needs.

Libra Ascendant 🥂💗- Focus is on beauty and seeing the world through a connective lenses. Connection everywhere, with nature, people, communities, spirituality, etc. the native will fill more in touch with their fair and balanced side. This year the native will focus on balance, and not doing too less or too much. The act of balancing means things will be out of balance, so this year the native will go through upheaval as well. They will learn about discipline and structure throughout these changes, and work on mending things that were out of place. Going back and rebuilding. Or starting new if needed. The natives peace is important, and the native could find a partner this year! Depending on the other SR placements. The native is looking for ways to be connected to whats around them and within them.

Pluto in the 7th house 🌟🌷- Transformative relationships and unhealthy dynamics can come up this year in the native. Power dynamics and upheaval of roots in connections. The natives relationships with others is changing tremendously, and likely they could attract someone healing as well, and the two can heal. But with pluto here it can get intense and chaotic, if the two aren’t consistent working on themselves. People from outside could try to get into the natives relationship, adding gossip. It’s important to stay private this year with relationships.

Venus in the 12th house ✨☀️- Some I knew actually met a soulmate that year, the potential for a deep bonding connection came up. It was long distance given the 12th house ruling distant lands. If Venus is in a water sign for that year, the connection is a psychic one and very intuitive. Her house had cancer over it, and she developed a close bond with someone. They did things for the first time she’d never done before like traveling to another place! Everything was kept private, as Venus fell in the 12th house. Although this happened, they both mirrored wounds and did inner work to sustain the connection, and had a connection that was incredibly intimate. So Venus in the 12th can bring up a romantic interest, a connection that will be profound in terms of inner healing. It can also mean the native will choose to heal and do inner work, and not have the desire to date that year. It can mean codependency is the natives undoing that year in their relationships.

Sun in the 1st house ☀️🥂- Focus is on the self, growing and improving the body. The native could go to the gym and explore new routines, or be athletic that year. Participating in a sport they enjoy. Their appearance will go through a massive change too, someone I knew impulsively cut their hair after drinking lmao. It was super long, and then they went short! The father could be in the natives life a lot more, whether thats through spending time and bonding, or being intrusive and invasive. The native will realize a lot in terms of their strength, depending on which zodiac sign falls in the sun. For example, if its Leo, the native will realize a lot of their determination; strength, resilience and their self esteem will improve.

Venus in the descendant or 7th house 🤍☕️- Dating someone! Or meeting someone who is a potential partner. Venus was in my 7th house for my SR when I got into long term relationships. Conj. NN will be an impactful relationship, NN is also associated with destruction in a way because it rebuilds, and what doesn’t work must leave, so that relationship I had was incredibly chaotic 😅 But for those who have Venus in the 7th house, you will potentially meet a long term partner that year. Check the zodiac sign and that’ll tell you how! Someone with Gemini Venus 7th house met someone online.

Venus in the 1st 🌟🌹- Appearance changes! A glow up will definitely happen that year, and ideals of your relationship will change a lot. What you expect, want, desire will go through changes. You may prefer healing therapy of some kind for the body, like massages, or yoga. Something to restore the body physically. You could absolutely be in the gym too!

Saturn in the 1st 🌙🦋- Having to be more structural and disciplined within yourself. Setting new routines and maturing personal boundaries. You may struggle with dissatisfaction and apathy this year, because you’re moving towards what fulfills you. Check the zodiac sign to see what will be maturing most within yourself that year. For example if its in Pisces, you’ll be maturing the part of you that has wishes, dreams, but has been passive in taking an approach to make them happen.

Venus in the 5th house🌙🥂- More fun and romance this year! The chance to get to know someone and friendship. However your approach to dating will differ depending on what zodiac sign falls in the 5th house. For example, if it’s in Capricorn, you’ll take on a reserved and detached approach to relationships. You’ll show up practical.

Capricorn Venus 🦋🤍- Material matters are important and you’ll likely pick up extra hours this year. Your approach to relationships are practical, refined and you have a long term focus. You don’t want anyone or anything unnecessary, as you know it’ll hinder you this year. There’s a need to mature when it comes to relationships and understanding how they work, because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. There will be lessons on emotional intimacy this year!

Leo Venus 🥂🌟- This year there will be a focus on attracting the one potentially, and going big. Not playing small in relationships and attracting abundance. Loyalty is important, and the native wants a commitment within their friendships or romantic interests. The native steps into their worth and their value. By valuing themselves, they learn to realize their value in other peoples life. Lessons regarding self worth and value will come up, and the native will find themselves having to speak up for what they deserve in relationships!

Thats all I have ya’ll! I hope y’all enjoyed and please support this blog 💗🤗 it’s very much appreciated! If ya’ll would like I’d love to do more of this!

[sahaquiel43]

Realization: Morgott was genuinely favored by the Erdtree/Greater Will. And Marika is the True Villian.

So, I’ve been thinking, especiallay after the Events of Shadow of the Erdtree. And Goldmask's ideals. I feel like a lot of interpretations of Morgott, are Wrong. from him being hated by everyone Golden-colored, form the rank of file of the Golden Order, to Marika, to the Greater Will itself. And also a Lot of romanticization of Marika, treating her as the good-guy, and having somehow having her being forced to throw Morgott into.

But I've realized that with SoTE, its virtually confirmed that Marika is the Ultimate source of Omen Hatred, it's literally all her Fault, even if it's tragic. In fact, I think she doesn't have a grand plan at all, she's just a broken person.

 Greater will/erdtree/true golden order == GOOD.

Marika’s Golden Order = BAD.

 It’s Marika’s golden order, defiend by her falliable and fickle nature as suggested by Goldmask, that shuns omens and threw him into the Sewers, meanwhile the true order of the Greater Will/Erdtree, described by goldmask, actually favours morgott. And Marika, though tragic, is the true Villian.

Like Goldmask said, the issue is the fickleness of the gods, Marika, the demigods, that is the problem.

One, if he was really hated, how does morgott have one of the most powerful holy-magic abilites in the game? that surpasses almost every other Golden Order. He has to be blessed in some way, by the “true” golden order/greater will.

And Goldmask suggests the fundamentals of the Greater Will/Erdtree do not discriminate against it, rather, it is the fickle, mortal order set up by the Fickle gods that discriminates. Aka, Marika.

And with shadow of the Erdtree, it’s made so Obvious. Omen hatred really is All Marika’s fault, it all originated from her even if it’s Tragic. The omen hatred almost certainly stems 100% from Marika’s (to be fair, quite justified) hatred of the Hornsent. Anything crucible-related was shunned by the Fickle god, Marika. Of course, what the Hornsent did was horrible, to the point that I’m still a bit ambiguous on messmer’s crusade being 100% evil. But Marika was the one who gladly threw her twins into the Sewers, And seemed to tolerate far worse behavior by other non-omen demigods.

Ideas that she somehow was forced to do it are just stupid given, well, SHE’S GOD, and she could have at least just kept them in hiding. No. it was Marika. Marika hated Omens. She wanted her kids to suffer, honestly, the only thing stopping her from killing them was probably her own Fickleness, or the Greater Will stepping in. She probably encouraged Omen Hunters.

As for why morgott was barred from entering the Erdtree, I think it's because, whilst separate, prior to the shattering, the Greater Will gave Marika a LOT of power over the actions of it's power, so it may even Marika's Lingering Influence. Plus Radagon's blanket-security measure to protect the Erdtree.

And Godfrey was definitely overruled given he was the junior in the relationship, he just had to roll over and take it, given his love of his soon, another victim.

And this leads me into the greater theory that Marika doesn’t have some grand plan, she’s basically just a faliable, human, broken, wrecked person. The greater will really chose the wrong person to be their representative. Who has been through too much. And her shattering the Elden Ring wasn't some grand plan, just basically her Snapping and going ballistic after Godwyn died. Shadow of the Erdtree showed that she really was just a traumatized and hurt woman that got involved in something too big. Heck even what Miquella was trying to do makes sense, basically trying to do better than his Mother, and even trying to get rid of his own fickleness.

As for the fact that the Greater Will has already abandoned the Lands Between, I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t really matter. Despite being gone for so long, it’s extensions, which are godly and sentient in and of themselves, are still something powerful and worth fighting for, more than any of the other outer Gods.

as for morgott not improving conditions, aside from the well-known issue of his self-hatred, given the entire world was crashed into a post-apocolypes by marika, with him barely holding Leyndell together against multiple rival factions, he may not have had the space to do much.

[oddyseye]

Ganymede wasn’t a kid in the Greek myths, and he wasn’t exactly raped either.

People who claim that have either messed up their sources or are just using stuff from the wrong time and place, like Roman myths. Like, sure, if you’re gonna reference Ovid or someone like Theognis (who’s about as reliable as a coin toss), you need to at least say you’re not using reliable sources for Greek mythology.

The Iliad and the Homeric Hymns both talk about Ganymede in a completely different light than what people want to claim. He’s an adult. Not a child. Not a helpless victim. He’s described as this beautiful young man whom Zeus falls for, and in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, it’s explicitly stated that Ganymede is chosen because of his beauty. There’s no mention of him being taken against his will or in some predatory way. Just that Zeus was struck by his looks.

Homer's Iliad - 20.232: Τρώς, ὃς ἦν κύριος τῶν Τρώων, καὶ τῷ Τρώι ἐγένοντο τρεῖς ἄμεμπτοι υἱοὶ, Ἴλος (Ἴλος) καὶ Ἀσσαράκος (Ἀσσαράκος) καὶ θεῖος Γανυμήδης (Γανυμήδης, ὃς ἦν κάλλιστος ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης γενεᾶς), καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οἱ θεοὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτούς, ἵνα ᾖ οἰνοχόος Διός, διὰ τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῦ, ὅπως ᾖ ἐν τοῖς ἀθανάτοις. Translation by Lattimore: Tros, who was lord of the Trojans, and to Tros in turn there were born three sons unfaulted, Ilos (Ilus) and Assarakos (Assaracus) and godlike Ganymedes (Ganymede) who was the loveliest born of the race of mortals, and therefore the gods caught him away to themselves, to be Zeus' wine-pourer, for the sake of his beauty, so he might be among the immortals.

Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 203: Ἀληθῶς σοφὸς Ζεὺς ἔφερε τὸν χρυσόθρονον Γανυμήδην διὰ τὴν κάλλος, ἵνα ᾖ ἐν τοῖς ἀθανάτοις καὶ πόσῃ ποτόν τοῖς θεοῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Διός--θαῦμα ὁρᾶν--, τιμώμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀθανάτων ὡς ἕλκων τὸν ἐρυθρὸν νέκταρ ἐκ τῆς χρυσῆς κούπης . . . ἀθάνατος καὶ ἀγήρως, ὥσπερ οἱ θεοί. Translation by Evelyn-White: Truly wise Zeus brought the golden-throned Ganymede because of his beauty, so that he might be among the immortals and serve drink to the gods in the house of Zeus--wonder to behold--honored by all the immortals as he draws the red nectar from the golden cup… immortal and ageless, just like the gods.

And then there’s Pindar, Olympian Ode 1.40, who describes Ganymede as someone taken by Zeus out of “love” for him, not some creepy predator fantasy. It’s love, and it’s a divine act. He was given a place among the gods. Again, no child, no rape, just a stunningly beautiful youth elevated to divinity.

Then you get Ovid, who’s working centuries after the Greek myths were already established.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 152 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.): "But now I need a lighter strain, to sing of boys beloved of gods and girls bewitched by lawless fires who paid the price of lust. The King of Heaven (Rex Superum) once was fired with love of Ganymedes Phrygius (the Phrygian), and something was devised that Juppiter [Zeus] would rather be than what he was. Yet no bird would he deign to be but one that had the power to bear his thunderbolts. At once his spurious pinions beat the breeze and off he swept Iliades [Ganymedes of Ilion]; who now, mixing the nectar, waits in heaven above, though Juno [Hera] frowns, and hands the cup to Jove."

Ovid, Metamorphoses 11. 756 ff: "His forebears were Ilus, Assaracus and Ganymede, Jove's [Zeus'] stolen lad, and old Laomedon."

Ovid, Heroides 16. 199 ff (trans. Showerman) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.): "[Paris addresses Helene :] ‘Do not disdain a Phrygian for your lord… A Phrygian, and born of our blood, was he [Ganymedes] who now is with the gods, and mingles water with the nectar for their drinking.’"

Ovid’s version is infinitely more romanticized and definitely not as grounded in the original Greek storytelling tradition. Zeus falling for Ganymede and whisking him away sounds more like a love story than an assault. And even in the context of Roman literature, it’s more about divine favor than some tragic kidnapping. Not the same thing.

Ibycus, Fragment 289 (from Scholiast on Apollonius of Rhodes) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric III) (Greek lyric C6th B.C.): "In these lines Apollonios (Apollonius) takes over what Ibykos (Ibycus) said in his account of the rape of Ganymede [that he was carried off by a love-smitten Zeus] in his song to Gorgias."

Theognis, Fragment 1. 1345 (trans. Gerber, Vol. Greek Elegiac) (Greek elegy C6th B.C.): "There is some pleasure in loving a youth, since once in fact even [Zeus] the son of Kronos (Cronus), king of the immortals, fell in love with Ganymedes (Ganymede), seized him, carried him off to Olympos (Olympus), and made him divine, keeping the lovely bloom of boyhood."

Theognis and Ibycus wrote in the 6th century BC, and they were poets, not mythographers. They were interested in beauty, moral themes, and a lot of their work wasn’t about strict record-keeping or establishing canon.

Homer, on the other hand, wrote in the 8th century BC, and his epics are foundational texts. Homer is one of the first sources we have of the Ganymede myth, and there’s no explicit mention of Zeus’ rape of Ganymede. And the language used is much more neutral or ambiguous about their relationship — Ganymede is taken to Olympus, and Zeus makes him his cupbearer. The phrasing does not emphasize violence or forced affection.

Ibycus was a lyric poet, not a historian, and his work is overwhelmingly fragmented. What we have is mostly secondhand through later sources, which already makes him weak as a primary reference. And the passage about Ganymede is literally cited by a scholiast on Apollonius of Rhodes. That’s layers of separation from anything even remotely reliable. It’s not like we have a full, intact poem from Ibycus detailing the myth, we just have an offhand reference from someone quoting someone else. That’s…not solid evidence. At all.

Theognis is even worse! The guy wrote didactic elegy. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically moralizing poetry that served his personal aristocratic agenda. He wasn’t trying to preserve myth so much as he was using it to justify his social values, especially his obsession with male youth and beauty.

If someone’s citing only Ibycus and Theognis, I already know they’re pushing a specific interpretation because the stronger sources don’t support them. Those two aren’t foundational to the myth. They’re deviations.

And then there’s Lucian (a satirist from Rome, guys), who called Ganymede a child. Do I really need to explain why that’s not a mythological source? It’s satire and it is Roman. It’s like taking a joke seriously. It’s just not how myth should be treated. Same goes for Statius, who follows the same flawed logic of Ganymede being a child and forcibly taken. No, honey, not in the myth.

Now, let’s talk about Nonnus, the 5th-century AD writer, who at least is a Greek (so credit where it’s due). But let’s be clear: He’s still late enough that I’d raise an eyebrow at everything he writes, especially when he’s calling Zeus’ act with Ganymede “tender” and “anxious.” Like, okay, sure, but we’re still talking about a source that’s centuries after the actual Greek myth, so it’s already a reinterpretation. But hey, still no mention of children or rape here.

And lastly, a little gem that really gets me: People love to argue that Ganymede was referred to as “Catamitus,” but that’s just a Latin version of his name from Apuleius, who was Roman. That word didn’t even carry the sexual connotation people want to attach to it until modern times. It’s a completely different context. And don’t even get me started on how people misuse this. They’re literally reading a word wrong to support a narrative that wasn’t there in the first place.

So, listen, if you want to talk about Ganymede, fine. But if you’re gonna bring up these sources, at least be honest about what they are. They’re Roman reinterpretations, lyric poetry, moralizing elegy, satire, and the occasional fragment of a not-so-reliable source.

If you want the closest thing to the original myth? Start with Homer, the Homeric Hymns, and mythographers like Apollodorus, and work your way from there.

This myth? No, Ganymede wasn’t a child, and he wasn’t raped. He was a beautiful youth, elevated by the gods for his looks, to serve at the divine table. Period.

[multidimensionalguidance]

🌫️🌷Venus Observations #2 🌷🌫️

Venus and Neptune have a really interesting interaction when in aspect to each other, particularly with the conjunction, opposition, and square. It’s not that sextiles and trines are not important, but since they are softer, the energies tend to flow with more ease and therefore, less difficulties.

Venus is exalted in Pisces, so it would bring no surprise that individuals with this planetary aspect would display similar traits to the sign, if not maybe even stronger.

Natives with the strong aspects (preferably less that 6 orbs) are perceived as distinctively beautiful in some way. Not necessarily in a conventional way, but more so in their aura field, which then translates to the physical on some level. When Venus makes a strong aspect to the angles (specially ASC or MC) the native can be seen as classic beauties or it simply just draws a lot of judgment from others when it comes to their appearance or mannerisms. Venus with any other planet in general enhances and beautifies it. Pleasure becomes associated with the traits of the planet that its touching it.

When Venus meets Neptune, the planet that represents inspiration, spirituality, illusions, healing, and loss it causes the same effect but much stronger.

Therefore, these natives can find joy, pleasure or become enamored with the Neptunian topics mentioned above. Since Venus thrives the most in relationships that are inherently spiritual, “rose-colored”, or somewhat obscured from the public it encourages to only feel that inner harmony when love comes from a source that isn’t material or seen at all.

In essence we understand love to be a non-physical experience, even if we’re used to being brainwashed by the notion of pursuing this experience through physical or material experiences. The media tries to lead us to filling a void, that simply cannot ever feel complete without spiritual consciousness.

Venus in Pisces or Venus-Neptune natives despite being seen as those who foolishly and innocently love others almost to a detrimental level, understand this the most. They feel as if love can only be found in the moments that are filled with emotions and spiritual connections. A moment where the love they feel seems to be connected with everything, which it is, since the universe thrives when its in energetic harmony.

Does it mean these placements have an easy time simply because of its exaltation? Yes and no. They are given the blessing of finding beauty in everything, but that is exactly the same reason why they are prone to looking for love and beauty in all the “wrong” places. To them, there’s no such thing as an experience that can’t be filled with love and beauty. They will romanticize and beautify absolutely everything, including those who only wish to use them for their own benefit.

For example, if Neptune squares or opposes Venus, the person might choose the wrong partners in life and will tend to idealize them/not see them for who they really are.

At their most difficult moments they become victims of a lot of traumatic experience in love and struggle with understanding feminine energy (which is not exclusively related to gender), which can only be restored by recognizing that love truly lies within them, and in that which is the most connected to the universe, like nature. Many who have a harsh time with recognizing this can end up trying to transform themselves into a version they’ll love or others will, without noticing that they already embody that beautiful version they so desperately seek. They forget that their beauty truly comes from their own inner world and the amazing gifts that lie in there. They are creative geniuses, in every sense of the word. Similarly to Venus-Ketu/South Node natives.

I’ve personally noticed they tend to succumb to enhancing their bodies wether permanently or temporarily, as they initially may try to pursue their best outward self. They crave for others to see them, as they feel within.

It is advised for these natives to be extra careful when involved in romantic scenarios and with the uses of substances that can make them feel more connected to their inner world or the spiritual realm. You are already tied to the universe’s waves by nature, and without much effort. Instead of pouring the oceans of love you have to others all the time, do it instead consciously towards your passion, creativity, and those who are truly interested in your well being.

Note: Venus in the 12th house can also apply to this post to a certain extend.

[padawan-snack-packer]

[TW: Andor Episodes 4-5-6 spoilers/ Ghorman Arc]

TW: discourse, resistance history, national identity stuff I'm gonna get a little heated here because this isn’t just vibes or fiction to me — people in my own family literally took part in the Résistance and I need to talk about this-

Just because some stuff in the recent episodes makes you think the Ghormans are inspired by the French doesn’t mean you get to be asses to French people in return.

Like. Be normal. Please.

Yes, it’s very clear there’s visual and tonal inspiration pulled from real French resistance iconography — the looks, the berets, the architecture, the fashion, the Gavroche-coded outfits, even some of the accents.

Yes, Tony Gilroy literally said he was inspired by "Un Village Français" in an interview, which is a show about everyday people surviving and resisting under Nazi occupation between 1940–1944.

Yes, it’s intentional. Yes, it’s real.

Yes, there’s a reason those references hit the way they do.

And I get it — people have a lot of jokes or side-eyes about the French, and some of them come from real criticisms or real history. But come on. There’s a line between engaging with the source material critically and just being... weirdly xenophobic or mean for no reason.

Not every aesthetic or narrative inspiration is an invitation to mock the real-life cultures behind them.

I know we all have shit to say about each other’s politics. Trust me, I get it. Every country’s got its mess. But can we maybe not shit on the actual historical resistance movements?

Because when you’re mocking or minimizing the French Résistance — or any resistance for that matter — you’re not being edgy or cool.

You’re clowning on people who literally fought Nazis.

On people who stared at Fascism dead in the eyes and said "Come get me" and were on the frontlines to defend their countries/nations.

People who risked their lives, their families, their homes, their entire existence to defy occupation, to smuggle information, to sabotage oppressors, to resist in every way they could.

For years.

I get being critical of romanticized portrayals. But making fun of the real thing? The people who actually said “no” to fascism when it could have gotten them killed?

That’s not the take you think it is.

Put some respect on the people who stood up when it would have been safer to stay silent.

The fact that some people on here are comfortable calling themselves “rebels” — like it’s a cool fandom badge — while actively shitting on the real historical movements that inspired those rebellions is honestly kind of horrendous, disgusting and absolutely disrespectful.

Sincerely, a French girl who would really like you to stop cherry-picking which parts of our history are “cool” enough to respect.

[polyamorousmood]

Alright so sometime last year, a very close friend of mine told me he was poly, and when that happened, realized that I've had feelings for them for a while, I just had them bottled up because I thought they were mono, but no, he has a wife and a boyfriend. However, I'm godDAMN sure he doesn't have the time for me, he's an extremely busy guy. So now idk what I'm supposed to do with these feelings. Do I bottle them up? Do I talk to them about it? How would I even approach that? ~💀

There's no straightforward answer to this, as you should expect with polyamory.

Firstly, I'd like to address the very premise of your ask: him not having time for you. Before I say anything else, I want to say I believe you. You've clearly given this thought and knowing there won't be an amount of time satisfying for you is a real consideration I'm glad you're making.

But at least for the benefit of others, if not yourself, let me offer a couple gentle potential rebuttals.

If (and only if, also known as iff) everyone is okay with sharing time, there may be more opportunity than you'd think. Of course, this won't work for every situation, some people just need more 1:1 and less group time 🤷‍♀️.

And then of course, if you have other partner(s), you may find you have less free time and less time needs than if you want a person with a lot of other commitments to be your main source of romance.

Having said that. If you still feel this is unactionable, what you do is depedent on you, so I'm going to give few options and explain situations I think they'll be helpful for

You could just "confess" and get rejected (or have the relationship fail). It's not like, a super fun option, but if you have the type of friendship that can survive such a thing and come out the other side pretty unphased, a firm rejection can help some people get over their hopes and move on. Plus, explicitly talking about might help vent some of the feelings or highlight anything kinda ridiculous you're deluding yourself into believing could work (NO judgement, who hasn't been there? [Probably some aromantics])

Creating distance between you and the object of your affections can hurt short term, but is perhaps the most sure fire way to stop thinking about them. Hard to be super into someone you rarely talk to!

Many people go the route of just... quietly having an unrequited crush and hoping something changes that allows it to flourish. I wouldn't recommend this, necessarily. But the option is there and I can think of at least one person I know personally who it's worked out for. It's slow and leaves you little agency in the thing you want. But hey. At least it requires virtually no effort!

As above, but this time romanticize the sitation youve put yourself in like its a slowburn romance story. Still perhaps not the route I'd take, but if you're gonna do it anyway, you may as well get a little extra for the heartache. Romanticizing your life is a time-honored method of enjoying it more! Surely casting yourself in a tragic but devoted role will make you feel better about it not working out, right?

Go to a friend you trust, who you know gives good advice. Lay it all out on the line. Describe everything you like about this guy and why you want a relationship and all the things that would be SO CUTE. Then describe the drawbacks (you won't get the time you know you'd need to be happy). And have your friend tell you you're a fucking idiot. This lets you vent some of the feelings and gives you a space to process it while being very low risk. Plus, lots of people are very good at deluding themselves (myself included), so having someone very bluntly state the reality of the situation we've been ignoring can be the system shock needed to get over our crushes.

Additionally, if you're not gonna give them the cold shoulder until you get over it (which again, is probably simplest and most likely to be effective imho), focus on the good shit you get out of a friendship with them, and the value keeping the relationship as it is brings to your life.

However things work out, know that you'll make it through this. Best of luck, friend!

[strokeovapen]

Sorry if this is a bit strange to ask, its largely out of curiosity to see what youd think considering the knowledge you possess. Do you think there couldve been any good form of kittycorn’s coping? like, as in, if there were some healthy way to do it at all. ive seen some people (nonproshippers themselves) say they think proshipping could be fine if kept entirely private, and done in like brief lapses or just generally not constant. does this have any truth, in your opinion? COULD this have been healthy, had it just been brief sexual depictions of incest privately, without normalizing or rationalizing it, or devolving into making it into frequent porn or having a fetish for it? I guess im just wondering if maybe it can be something like how cnc is considered a fine coping mechanism, since theres a disconnect between it and sexualizing actual rape. im aware that kittycorn is far past the point of no return with what she does being considered healthy for her at all, but im wondering if there was maybe ever a point that could have been good for her, and maybe what so many proshippers base their idea of this stuff being a “good coping mechanism” in general on, that spiralled out of control? hope this was all easy to understand, im a bit rambley

To put it simply… this is a heavily nuanced topic.

In my personal opinion, sexualizing your incestual trauma, even without inherently “rationalizing” it, does not have any bearing as to whether it can actually “heal” you or not. From some quick shuffling around sources, there doesn’t seem to be any concrete evidence that proves sexualizing incest can help you heal in the long run. It can make you feel good temporarily, but for your future? We can’t tell you.

From personal experience, and especially by observing Kittycorn’s actions, it doesn’t seem to have helped her heal at all. Proshipping is not a practice I would like to recommend to anyone because of this. My concern isn’t inherently about the privacy of it, but the way it affects you as a person, and how it can bleed into your life and personal relationships.

Normalizing or sexualizing incest in media or personal fantasies can be deeply harmful to survivors and may trivialize their trauma, and sexualizing your trauma isn’t exactly a sign of being able to understand the true abusive nature of incest, but again this is very nuanced and is only my opinion based on personal life experiences and research.

Was there ever a point in which this could be healthy for her? The unbiased answer is, it’s hard to tell. But in my opinion, I don’t entirely think it ever would be healthy.

I do not interact with Proship communities for my own sake, but out of everything I have witnessed, it tends to be a very mixed community that in some cases tries to justify these immoral actions. And everyone is just kind of… cool with it, for some reason.

Whether it be the desensitization of these individuals or not is something I haven’t put too much thought into, but “Proship” seems to be a community that encourages and fetishizes fictional abuse rather than shipping some characters together. Proship communities very often come paired with romanticization of abusive tropes instead of consuming them with nuance, so I highly doubt they would be anything healthy at all.

[opinionatedscreamsintothevoid]

We have had decades upon centuries of proof that fiction doesn't impact reality the way you antis think it does. But here you are, denying the actual historical evidence because it's inconvenient for you. How sad.

Source?

Meanwhile, you can see media affecting reality through the most basic things by themselves: commercials, propaganda, and media representation. Moral lessons in cartoons, even, are smaller ways that media affects people's perceptions and ideals, causing ripple effects into the real-world.

Commercials are designed to make people desire a certain product over other products, for example.

Propaganda manipulates perceptions to garner support for a cause. There's plenty of examples including the infamous 'Donald Duck nazi cartoon'.

Media representation shapes people's views on minority groups. This is why minority representation matters.

There's also the fact that movies/tv shows have resulted in larger consequences: People used to underestimate and dismiss sharks before the Jaws movie, but the film completely shifted their perception. Now sharks are feared and were also hunted to endangerment, to the point the original author regrets making Jaws in the first place. Fifty Shades of Gray caused a sudden spike in hospitalization over bedroom-related injuries and effecting perception on fetishes.

Let me make this clear: I'm not saying you can't have abusive/unhealthy relationships in your media. I'm saying that it shouldn't be glorified/romanticized. I'm also not saying I want people to hold the audience's hand and talk down to them about right or wrong (Since I know that's a big strawman a lot of proshippers use)

I'm saying that if you have p*dophilia, abuse, or i*cest in your story, don't make it out to be a good or a healthy relationship.

The MAP situation exposed support for those real-world terrible individuals. Why feed into that with content geared toward that audience?

[cinderella-ish]

The Apothecary Diaries Personality Types: Maomao

Y'all knew this was coming. Maomao is the only character I feel comfortable analyzing from this show so far, but I'm looking forward to getting to know the other characters better!

Maomao is probably the clearest example of her Enneagram that I can think of. Her MBTI is a little less obvious, but I still think it's quite clear. Here goes!

Maomao's Enneagram

Wound: Maomao's birth mother was mentally unwell and abused her, including by cutting off Maomao's finger. Maomao was then raised at the brothel that had employed her birth mother, though she was aware that her birth had damaged the brothel's reputation and irreparably destroyed her mother's value as a courtesan.

Wounding message: You are a burden. You must earn your right to exist.

Core desire: To avoid notice so she can focus on survival & her work as an apothecary.

Core fear: attracting too much notice and becoming a target

Defense mechanism: Maomao maintains a pragmatic, aloof approach to life. She avoids romanticizing things, and even avoids daring to hope things could be better for her.

Strengths: Maomao is curious, intelligent, helpful, cautious, calm, perceptive, dependable, objective, matter-of-fact, and independent.

Challenges: Maomao is reserved, secretive, obsessive, detached, cynical, nihilistic

When healthy: Maomao will stand up for what she knows is right.

When unhealthy: I'm not sure I know what she's like when unhealthy...

Looking at all of this, here's what connects when I go back to the Enneagram post:

Wound: 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9

Wounding message: 2, 5, or 7

Core desire: 5

Core fear: 5, 6, or 8

Defense mechanism: 5

Strengths: 1, 5, or 6

Challenges: 5

When healthy: 4, 5, or 9

When unhealthy: unsure, though I think 3 and 8 sound most likely

Maomao is an Enneagram 5.

Fives live in the Head center, and tend to underexpress fear. From Personality Path:

Fear is underexpressed in Type 5s by limiting engagement with the outside world. Concerns about being overwhelmed motivate Type 5s to withdraw from others. Anger can be triggered when personal boundaries are breached because this threatens the withdrawal strategy used to avoid anxiety. Shame or Sadness presents itself when Type 5s struggle with typical human interactions, which can be difficult because of their disconnection from the emotional world and their tendencies to isolate themselves from others. Concerns about being overwhelmed by their environment and the demands of others are often at the bottom of the three core emotions for Type 5s.

Shigure Sohma from Fruits Basket and Haruhi Fujioka from Ouran High School Host Club are both Fives.

Wing

The Enneagram Institute calls 5w4 "The Iconoclast" and 5w6 "The Problem Solver". Maomao, famous for solving problems, is pretty clearly a 5w6. From Truity:

5w6s are practical, helpful, and organized. While still fiercely independent, 5w6s tend to be more cooperative and loyal than other Fives. They excel in troubleshooting and solving complex problems.

Haruhi Fujioka is also a 5w6.

Subtype

I think Maomao is almost certainly not a SX 5, but I could see a case for either SP or SO.

Maomao at times seems to show a lack of regard for her own safety, from testing poisons on herself to casually discussing her potential execution with Jinshi. She is keenly aware of her position within the imperial hierarchy, or the hierarchy of Verdigris House. She is also very aware of which information could be dangerous vs. which information is crucial to share (and whether it's safe for her to share it openly). Where SP 5s are very focused on privacy and boundaries, SO 5s are more focused on knowledge and tend to almost hoard knowledge for use as protection.

For these reasons, I think Maomao is a SO 5w6. She is the first Social 5 I've analyzed. Description from EnneaApp:

Search for totems (symbols of the social group) which are sources of knowledge

Seek knowledge in totemic symbols such as scientific formulas/esoteric paradigms

Have preoccupation with mind as a source of power, attracted to realm of academia

Concerned with titles, degrees, credentials; relates socially through defined roles

Attracted to systems of study that yield big-picture accounts of social forces

Knowledge is power and forewarned is forearmed; insider information is protective

Belongs to some kind of "in-group" connected through specialized information

Likes to refine thinking with "people who know" in a setting that is free of small talk

May live in high society, knows the "right" people, belongs to the best clubs

Doesn't like to compete; will not jockey for rank; wants to be "called"/recognized

May enjoy speaking a professional language that only a few people understand

May appear haughty/condescending; may tell others how to do things quicker/better

More social than other fives; torn between group connection and wish for privacy

Tritype

With 5 as her Head type, I think Maomao's Gut type is most likely 9 (though I wouldn't rule out 8 or 1 just yet), and her heart type could be 3 or 2 (but probably not 4).

Maomao is fascinating because she wants to stay out of other people's business, but it's almost like she can't help herself. I don't think she really craves admiration, as a 3 would, nor do I think she wants to be central in other people's lives, as a 2, but I do think her desire to be helpful is slightly stronger than her desire to be successful.

With 2 in the mix, I think 9 would need to be her Gut type. 2s can be so intrusive and pushy; having a mix of 5 and 9 in her tritype really balance out that aspect of 2, whereas 8 would exaggerate it.

After reading the descriptions, I think 2-5-9 ("The Problem Solver"), 3-5-8 ("The Solution Master"), and 3-5-9 ("The Thinker") are all decent matches, but 2-5-9 seems like the best fit.

From Katherine Fauvre's website:

If you are a 259, you are caring, knowledgeable, and accepting. You want to be helpful, wise, and peaceful. You are naturally very quiet, soft-spoken, and shy, but observe and track everything going on around you.  You focus on problems and enjoy tinkering and fixing things. You need companionship and avoid feelings of loneliness by focusing on the needs and concerns of others. You are the smart, reserved, and sympathetic, ‘people’ person. You can see how to fix things but struggle with inaction when overwhelmed.  

Maomao is actually the first 259 I've analyzed in this series!

Maomao's MBTI

Sticking with my more recent format, here's how I see Maomao's mental processes:

Information-Gathering:

Everyone uses both iNtuition and Sensing, but one will be more natural to rely on. Everyone will also introvert one of these processes, and extrovert the other.

Someone who introverts iNtuition and extroverts Sensing will be able to cut to the core of understanding something in a state of deep, solitary focus. They will gather sensory information through their experience in the present, preferably with others.

Someone who extroverts iNtuition and introverts Sensing will tend to brainstorm aloud, connecting many possibilities at once, and will rely on comparisons to past sense-memories in order to understand the present.

Maomao seems to use Ni quite strongly, and Se less so, making her an -N-J type.

Decision-Making:

Just like with the two information-gathering processes, everyone uses both Thinking and Feeling to some degree, but will use one more naturally. And again, they will introvert one, and extrovert the other.

Someone who introverts Thinking and extroverts Feeling will use their own internal logical framework to come to decisions, and will base their decisions on outcomes for the people around them.

On the other hand, someone who extroverts Thinking and introverts Feeling will use external logic in decision-making, such as rules, laws, procedures, checklists, etc... and will base their decisions on the kind of person they want to be, or the kind of person they see themselves to be.

Maomao seems to use Te quite strongly, and Fi to a lesser degree.

This would make her an -NTJ type.

I think it's more likely that Ni is her Dominant process than Te, making her an INTJ, also called "The Mastermind".

Let's look at what Dominant Ni looks like:

Can appear visionary. Connects unconscious images, themes, and connections to see things in new ways. Brainstorm internally with themselves. Trusts and relies on inner insights, which may be hard for others to understand. Keyword: Visioning.

When exaggerated:

unrealistic visions, only accept data that supports their theories, make things overcomplicated

Inferior Se:

obsess over external, small, unimportant details, overindulge in sensual pleasures (overeat, over drink, etc.), see environment as hostile and dangerous

And the description of INTJ:

Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance—for themselves and others.

This is a great description of Maomao! She shares this type with Prince Zuko of Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Kento Nanami from JuJutsu Kaisen.

Maomao's Personality Summary

Enneagram: SO 5w6 (The Investigator/The Problem Solver)

Tritype: 2-5-9 (The Problem Solver)

MBTI: INTJ (The Mastermind)

Maomao is perceptive, rational, and detached yet kindhearted. She connects discrete, seemingly disparate bits of information to solve medical and criminal mysteries and help others. She is extremely cautious as she remains hyper-aware of her rank in hierarchical systems, and the tenuousness of her safety, although she can forget her caution when she becomes lost in thought or obsessed with another mystery.

What do you think? Do you agree with my analysis? Why or why not?

Apothecary Diaries Personalities Masterpost | Character Personalities Masterpost

[movingthisblogcelestialtarot11]

Hi!! Can you do libra man please? 🤍

Libra Male—

—Depending on his other placements he can be introverted, closed off, objective and cautious. Not every libra male will always be extroverted and have a huge social circle.

—But, some libra males can have a huge social circle. Whether it be having a huge family, friends, social media following, etc. this heavily depends on their other placements.

—Saturn exalts in Libra, so these natives can be avoidant, detached and appear nonchalant in their connections. This is more so a protective mechanism.

—These natives can also struggle with toxic masculinity, and how they should appear. Venus is the ruler of Libra which can denote these natives struggling with others idealizing them, especially their parents. Other people could have placed high expectations of them to perform well.

—Saturn exaltation denotes rigidity, structure, form. When empowered these natives can approach life with a stable mindset and balance emotions, and be open to receiving (Venus)

—May appear charming, suave, and persuasive beneath their detached persona. They can be careful with their words, and want to appeal to your interests more so than projecting who they really are. This can lead to dissonance with their core personality and ego.

—Caring. These natives once you get to know them are detail oriented yet silly with the right people. They know how to have a good time. They spend a lot of time studying those around them, so they know how to deliver in terms of presence.

—Quick to pull away. It’s as if they’ve been burnt by the ashes of their past, so these natives tend to disappear at the slightest intimacy.

—Disempowered Libras can’t tell if they like being in a relationship because they like to perform, and do it well, or if it’s because they are ready for a commitment.

—Lovely individuals when empowered. They understand the duality of life, the necessity of logic and emotional balance. They appreciate the aesthetics of life, and the sorrow of it all. And yet the happiness, the joy.

—Some Libra’s know they can dress to the nines, and some know they dress comfortably because it’s their preference. They love to see the surprise on other’s faces when they do clean up well, however. These natives have a great sense of style especially libra moon men.

—They can prefer simpler, monotone colors. Some may prefer a style that is suave, yet you can tell they really take care of themselves. It may just be the way they have their hair, or it’s the way they eat or speak. They dress put together, and it looks cohesive. It’s often the color palette matching, and they have a consistency to their style.

—Acts of service. They love to help others, and to feel needed. They love to feel involved. When you need them, they’ll surely be there for you once they have that deep connection. When disempowered, these natives can insert themselves in situations where they play the hero card for validation.

—Visionary. When they tap into their source, they have such beautiful ideas and deep insights. They can either keep this to themselves or share it with those closest. They have a romanticized way of viewing the world, a softer imagination. This can give off angelic, pure vibes, because they see such authentic moments for themselves and others.

—Struggles with choosing unhealthy people as “family,” or closest to them. They can view love as unhealthy, and struggle with understanding family dynamics. They may try to prove who they are to their family only to be met with rejection. (Depends on other placements)

—Can give into the traditional male trope. They often can become providers or idealize themselves to be that (even if they fall short)

[afconfessions]

To the anon that mentioned how much fluidity you can add to AF, you just gave me an idea:

(note: it's been a while since I've actually interacted with the source material so if this seems off I apologize ^^")

★—————★

I always imagined Cyalm as someone who jumped into this rabbit hole of morbid curiosity and had drunken themselves in the pleasures of godhood, especially by stripping the rest of the AF cast of their autonomy for his own entertainment. What was once an estranged thought devolved past the line of what is ethical, only justified because his lens of what it means to become a writer has been tainted.

Anyone who delves into any kind of creative work would understand the pursuit of perfection: Anything you make, by the mere flick of your hands, will produce works of masterful craft. Cyalm is no stranger to this thought, and unfortunately; never discovered the peace that comes with imperfection.

With perfection, comes pride: Pride in knowing that these works are birthed by your own two hands, by the genius that only YOU possess. The two go hand-in-hand, and by pursuing perfection you put your pride at risk; not by the process to which you poured your heart into, but by TRYING to mold the end product into something you know is just not possible with your human limitations.

These thoughts FRUSTRATED Cyalm, and their purpose as a writer has been TARNISHED because of it. However, when they reached that ascension into godhood, they could finally go past these human limitations. At the price of others, of course.

I thought of the AF cast as individuals who had the pleasure, or misfortune, of being documented by Cyalm for his writing inspirations. All of these people, living their lives in perfection and pride through the passions they have mastered: Signol with their successful career in music, Ploque with their heartfelt hard work in woodworking– You get the idea.

Now, while some of these people may take pride in their work, they aren't ACTUALLY living in perfection; but that's besides the point for Cyalm. They ADMIRE their craft, who they see as perfection because they refuse to accept the imperfection in themselves, hence why they reflect this idea onto other people.

When the realization of godhood kicked in, what was once inspiration turned into idealization; and romanticization. And with their newfound abilities exceeding the human shell, they HAD to return to their precious hobby with blinded eyes and tinted glasses.

Their passion becomes the very thing that cages them, what their lives revolved around suddenly revolves their lives. This trudge to morbid curiosity was enough to pique Cyalm's interest; to go past that line of morality and PUSH the limits of godhood, because they refused to push that limit when they were still human.

In the end, Cyalm acknowledges the path they took, but refuses to back down now. This is pride, this is PERFECTION; the thing that they have yearned for SO LONG. Imperfections are manipulated into idealized visions that they could blind themselves in, and it was ONLY when they achieved this mission that they finally started taking risks: The Star Savior.

In spite of the malice that came with their vision, Cyalm still nurtured the Star Savior: Shiny red coins, ethereal stars– They had built up the Star Savior into a vision so ideal, it could surpass themselves and their godhood. Just like how a writer carefully plots their narrative.

When they were finally confronted, Cyalm paid no mind to the antics of their creations. In fact, they were confident. They had already achieved what they wanted after all; whether they were rid of or not, the AF cast couldn't ever hope to change the narrative of their lives. The narrative that Cyalm had forced upon the group.

Cyalm knew their story would live on, and it did. They didn't even have to work anymore to craft masterpieces; it already crafted themselves thanks to THEIR narrative, THEIR genius, THEIR hard work that they had manipulated from their two hands. It was complete, and Cyalm could finally rest knowing that their penmanship is engraved for centuries to come. There was no chance their narrative could be replaced.

★—————★

I had lots of fun writing this! Even though I was supposed to work on schoolwork, it feels nice having to engage in special interests for once (especially since school has been keeping me busier than I would prefer)

Thank you to the anon that inspired me, and thank YOU if you have read my silly thoughts in full :D

what. 5he fuck

dude

EVERYONE NEEDS TO FUCKIGN READ THIS RIGHT NOW I HAVE YOU ALL AT GUNPOINT 5HIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GOD???????? OOUGHHH???

I like just woke up too and ouuuughhh this is the best thingf. E ver. WOW.

This is. WOW. OH MY GODD - ⁉️

[collectoroflovelythings]

So, been thinking about the idea of Asgore + the popular conception of the Divorce Guy Bear in mind that A) I like Asgore a lot and B) I’m talking about concepts in pop culture and social theory as a means of doing analysis and am not saying everything here applies to deltarune directly

Gender in Deltarune works on a similar sort of meta level that It’s ambiguous how misogyny works in this world, if you can even say it exists however a lot of characters and their relationships are informed by an understanding of how misogyny works in the real world For example, Berdley and Noelle represent how a lot of men talk over and speak for their female friends, believing they are acting as their savior when actually they’re just taking away their agency Same with his need to construct Noelle as having a crush on him regardless of his own real feelings for her, because being desirable to women makes him cooler Misogyny isn’t directly referenced, but their dynamic wouldn’t work as well if the genders were changed Kris never directly experiences transphobia but their experiences are meant to echo being an isolated queer kid in a conformist small town, regardless of if their textual tranness is a direct factor

So I think it’s fair to consider the gendered idea of a Divorce Guy when talking about Asgore, the Divorce Guy brings to mind a different things but it’s usually a guy exhibiting real loser behavior be it eating tv dinners in and empty bedroom or wearing a toupee and hanging around much younger women or even as far as falling into radicalism In general divorce is seen as a loss for men On the contrary, while not universal, divorced women are more associated with imagery of liberation or empowerment It’s interesting how marriage is seen as something that primarily favors women, but divorce is mainly a loss for men. Men losing their source of domestic labor and are now unable to take care of themselves “She took the kids” memes with men losing their status as fathers but described in a way as if the children were property

The underlying idea behind all this being emasculation Divorce is something women do to men, where they abandon their roles as dutiful wives, thus stealing from the man his status as Husband and Father in the nuclear family, leaving him pathetic, lonely, and insufficient This is true wether the woman are depicted as liberated girl bosses or domineering bitches

There’s also the image of the woman that remains in the divorced guy where she becomes romanticized as the Ideal Wife that’s focused less on her personhood and more on his emotional dependence on her, essentially a becoming a dead wife despite being very much alive

Obviously Asgore fits a lot of stereotypes about divorce guys,having lost his house, not being the primary caretaker, living in his store, with a mostly empty fridge and sleeping on a sleeping bag And of course, his behavior towards Toriel, following her everywhere, attempting to woo her, giving her unwanted gifts,even using their kid as a vehicle for giving her these, often doing all of this very publicly Why is this, which are very deliberate actions that he has full ability as a grown man to know why they’re inappropriate referred to as Divorce Guy behavior and called at most naive or cringe and not as something more sinister or threatening (or even just entitled)? Cause of that emasculation thing, the Divorce Guy isn’t threatening, he’s weak and pathetic He poses no real threat cause he fits too much into the cultural image of that’s just how divorce guys are Contrarily Toriel’s behavior at the end of ch4 doesn’t fit into the cultural image of a doting caring mother and while I don’t think it’s the entire reason people had such a strong reaction to her, it’s definitely a part of it

There’s also this urge to buy into the naivety of how he idealizes Toriel Now while Toriel is shown as having a higher moral standing than Asgore she’s not made symbolic by doing so This is a good thing She’s not his moral anchor keeping him in check from falling into the deep end, in fact she refuses She desires to be this strong pillar of morality but it is the reality that she is a person with faults who will inevitably fail This is the point, the fact that she her own character and nor reduced to a perfect symbol of morality Even if Asgore’s image of her is complimentary it doesn’t make it respectful or less dehumanizing Both Asgore and a certain subset of players refuse to acknowledge her as a person with her own shit and not as a symbolic vessel wether it be to Kris, Asgore or anyone else

[horizon-verizon]

https://www.tumblr.com/evebestthinker/751366825102770176/the-way-he-looks-at-her-as-if-no-one-else?source=share

It's funny that their relationship is so romanticized. Whether by showrunners or even people in general.

Corlys and Rhaenys in the original material have a bigger age difference than Daemyra, yet no one talks about grooming.

Rhaenys, from what I remember, certainly chose Corlys, but Rhaenyra also chose Daemon and everyone prefers to say that she was groomed to want her sexy old uncle... 🙄

The fact is that, apart from this age difference, Corlys only wanted Rhaenys to be queen for her own person and the name of her house, let's be realistic. And in Fire and Blood, it was actually Laenor and not Rhaenys who was actually proposed to the throne with Viserys.

Unlike Daemon, Corlys has also always shown a genuine interest in the throne, whether in HOTD or Fire and Blood. This guy fights for power and always goes against his wife's wishes in general.

Yet they are supposedly a great relationship ? A great marriage of love ? A couple goal ? People's double standards are astounding to me.

I will add that Corlys, aged 60 in Fire and Blood, is having sex, from what I remember, with a girl under 16 or in that age range it seems to me. In any case, a close age that Rhaenys was when he married her at the time, showing that he has a type of age range for women, unlike Daemon who in Fire and Blood was with women of varying ages.

So basically the directors of HOTD said to themselves that Corlys and Rhaenys would make a superb love story ? WTF seriously ? They keep talking about Daemyra's age difference but obviously it's only a problem when it's them and not the others.

Actually, what I'm trying to say is that... most of the criticisms leveled at Daemon : Bad father, bad husbands, way too old for his ultimate wife, power-hungry, throne-seeking, loving the girls are rather young... Well it's actually Corlys who ticks all the boxes. Show and or Book.

Disclaimer: This is to note the discrepancy that fandom does when it tries to bring up age differences, how biased people are towards Daemon. You can look to la-pheacienne's notes about GRRM and age differences HERE, where we talk abt Doylist vs Watsonian readings of GRRM's storytelling and over age diff creepiness vs what story the dude is telling in-world.

It mimics how people will say "Targs are colonizers" and then they ignore what the Westerosi did to the giants and twstsote/children of the forest. There's a clear bias and lack of reading being done, because yeah I agree. Like, Corlys is an impressive man, but that has little to do with this conversation topic. (For all who don't know, Corlys was 37 when 16-yr old Rhaenys chose him as her husband; Rhaenyra was born in 97, Daemon in 81; RhaneysxCorlys has a 21 diff, Daemyra has a 16 diff)

In the show, it makes way less sense as to why Rhaenys & Corlys are together. I did a TikTok abt it, but here it is:

Rhaenys has constantly said that she considers a "good" leader AND [good] person to be one who goes out of their way to avoid violence, war, or great conflicts. Someone who takes measures to make sure their own actions do not lead to conflicts that may hurt even more than themselves. Even at the cost of one's own political advantages. She values what HotD has implied is "self-restraint" & defends Rhaenyra from Corlys' saying everything is her fault [specifically by reasoning that out of all the men who are there, Rhaenyra is the one who is trying to not go to war or any battle]. She is also supposed to care very much for her daughter, Laena, and her own grandchildren through her. Supposedly above Corlys' interests (episodes 6-7). Compare this to Corlys' self-interest evidenced by his pushing for a Velaryon-marriage through his 12 year old daughter & keeping Lucerys as his heir DESPITE the would-have-been-clear discontent from Vaemond abt the Driftmark succession PLUS how the Velaryon boys wete not his grandkids biologically AND Rhaenys advis[ing] him to name [their] granddaughters instead. With every value and action these two take for & against their family and against the other's desires….For what the HotD writers & whoever responsible wrote for these two…. Why do we believe that this ship is one of the best ones --or even makes logical sense-- to earn the reputation of being one of the best during this part of ASoIaF history?! The [show]relationship doesn't stand up on its own without the looks & performances of its actors. It also gets away with the nonsensical dynamic in two other things:

the constant defense of "two canons"

the many time jumps that remove any possibility for us or the writers to show us how these two actually like each other & continue to like each other

Once again, Daemon was never a good person, but he is also not what is depicted in HotD and grooming does not = DV. they are not the same, thus you do not have to include DV with grooming by saying it "eventually" happens with groomers. Espe when GRRM has a track record for just stating abuse when it happens (Jaehaerys with Alysanne, her pushed to keep giving birth; Robert Baratheon with Cersei):

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/763424954563837952/do-you-really-believe-the-narrative-being-pushed?source=share

I don't about romantic but company leaves no stone unturned to show them closest duo and unfortunately jimkook participates in that. Not accusing them of being intentional ik its contract but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. In fact, AYS opened my eyes with how Jungkook if wishes can break this narrative. I've seen him so reluctant to indulge in fs. I think it's been a few years around mind 2020 where Jungkook started resisting big time but because the focus was on only two memebers this time it looked more reluctant. But I think at the end of the day, he also keeps quiet where he shouldn't (not blaming, I understand the contracts) and speak a few lines for fanservice which is normal if we didn't have derange jimkookers. Unfortunately, this narrative has alienated Taehyung among armys.

Hi anon!

I agree that Jm and Jk being the closest is being pushed. I think there was some kind of romanticizing (not as in romance, but as in portraying an idealized version of events) going on in the way they tried to portray AYS as two guys going on their last adventures while about to go to the military. It’s been said by Jm in episode one: “it’s a show about us traveling before we go off to military service.” (Fun fact: Jk didn’t know what he was supposed to be filming). There’s these kinda cringy comments all throughout the show on how they are gonna think back on a certain meal or something when they are in the military… and don’t get me started on the last episode which ends with them on enlistment day. The comments on ‘it’s romantic and youth’ imo should be seen in this light as well. There’s some superficial truth to it perhaps, but when digging deeper and knowing especially Jk’s schedule and health.. I find the romanticized storyline a bit hard to swallow. They make use of a very hard time in Jk and Jm’s lives. I have little doubt that Jk had mixed feelings about this show. The NY shoot was unfair to him, and even Jm realized and adressed it in a way. I know many do feel they push a romantic narrative, but I don’t feel that’s true. A neutral person would not see romance between Jk and Jm. Their interactions are too rowdy, there’s too much pushback, there’s lack of care and concern, in the Jeju episodes Jk clearly vibes with Tae in a more close way, the talk about not seeing each other. It’s really only Jkkrs who see this as a romantic narrative, and not even they have been consistently happy. Sure, there hints from editors by means of subtitles. There’s editing like the teaser one which gives a wrong impression. That is done on purpose and it’s to keep Jkkrs content. And yes, Jm and Jk themselves do cuddle and have some sweet moments. And sure, there’s possibly some fanservice involved.

I know there’s debate on this, but it’s my belief that Jk and Jm are indeed close friends. So where do we put the boundary between fanservice and real stuff? I think they are close, physically as well. Probably not as much as we have seen, but I do think they hug and cuddle. Just like I think Tae and Jm hug and cuddle. BTS are a friendly bunch and Jm especially is a physical guy. So you’re gonna see him be close to the people he’s around especially when those people themselves are also physical beings. I think many if us are sensitive about this because its Jm and Jk.. had it been Jm and another member it wouldn’t have been such a big deal. I don’t expect Jm and Jk to stop doing what they do with all members.. that would mean they actually have to go and treat each other differently. Having said that, I do think Jk was less into the physical closeness than Jm. Jm instigated more, Jk brushed it off often.

I do dislike how they portrayed Tae, I think the ‘guest’ jokes were too much. Maybe once would have been funny, but even then.. with knowing how fandom acts when it comes to Vminkook.. it shouldn’t have been done this way. I don’t see what you see when you say Jk keeps quiet when he shouldn’t. I mean, in his eyes they were filming a show about him and jm as good friends traveling before enlisting. Aside from the ‘guest jokes’ there wasn’t much for him to speak out on? And I feel they handled the guest jokes amongst themselves quite alright. Tae isn’t weak, he can clapback himself.

If the question is: should Jk have said no to Ays because of Tae, I’d say no. If anything (and if there was the option even) he should have said no for himself, because the timing was very bad. I’ll have mixed feelings about this show forever, as I’m sure many do.. because there’s so much playing overall, and while I loved seeing Jk, Tae, and Jm.. I also recognize that the show was I’ll timed, very constructed, and showed a very biased view of things.