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itsallyscorner · 3 years

Text

For Tom x

Pairing: Tom Holland x singer!reader

Summary: You have a surprise for Tom:)

Warnings: none, just pure teeth rotting Fluff:)

A/n: Hello my loves! This is literally a rewrite because I accidentally deleted the original version of this story on Tumblr RIGHT before I was gonna post it😭 Anyway here it is, I hope you all like it! Ally x

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

look at my sunshine🥺

꘎♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡꘎

Your giggles filled the hallway as you lead Tom into your makeshift studio. Since you were quarantining with him and his mates in their shared home in London, you were miles away from your crew and studio. Which, yes, made it difficult to record an entire album on your own—but it did give you the creative freedom to do whatever you pleased for the album.

The boys had their own creative outlets; for example putting together a puzzle or having a movie marathon. While you found those activities enjoyable, the inner singer in you couldn’t stop thinking of beats or coming up with lyrics in your head. You needed the studio—you needed to bring those beats and lyrics to life before you could forget them. So with the help of the houses’ tech lord himself, Harry made it possible for you to have your own little studio in the spare guest room of the house. There, you spent endless days writing and recording things like harmonies and building melodies. Little did you know that this would lead to the creation of your sixth album. Now a couple months later, your latest album is currently in its final stages and would soon be released to the world.

Tom adoringly watched your figure, which was drowned in one of his oversized jumpers, excitedly skip towards the guest room. As soon as you were both inside, you rushed to close the door and eagerly pushed him to sit on the edge of the bed.

“What have you been up to, lovey?” He teasingly asks you. He knew you were up to something, he just didn’t know if it were bad or good.

Your figure was bent over the desk where your laptop was located. Turning over your shoulder you tell him, “It’s nothing bad, I promise!” You’re met with an amused grin on his blush pink lips.

Gathering your laptop into your arms, you move to sit beside Tom on the bed. He curiously leans forward, trying to get a glance at what’s on your screen.

“Nuh uh, it’s a surprise, Thomas.” You playfully scold him and gently push his face away from your laptop. He responds with a pout against your palm before pressing a kiss onto your skin. You continue to click around on your laptop, looking through your documents for the specific file.

Meanwhile, Tom shuffles further up the bed, getting comfortable. He notices the new distance between you and him and decides that he’s unsatisfied with the additional inches. He choses to snake his arms around your waist and lifts you up, happily placing you on the empty and lonely space on his lap. Laying down on his back, he takes a moment to admire the way you look in his jumper. It was a few sizes bigger than you and stopped right above your knees. The jumper may have looked good on him, but it looked absolutely perfect on you.

“You look so cute in my jumper.” He hums, hands lazily rubbing up and down your thighs. Your nose scrunches up as you lightly slap his chest; your silent way of saying “shut up” whenever Tom would say something that made you blush.

You finally find the file you were looking for and place your laptop on your lap. You nervously glance at your screen, biting down on your lip out of habit.

“Ok, so I did something.” You started. Tom squints his eyes at you, “That sounds like the beginning of a really bad something.”

You huff, “I just told you it wasn’t anything bad! Do you want your surprise or not?”

Tom chuckles and grasps onto your thighs, “Yes—yes, sorry, keep going.”

“So you know how I’ve already finished my album?” You question him. Tom nods, staring up at you while you sit on his thighs.

“Well, I wrote a few more songs that were supposed to be on the album. But I don’t know, I felt a bit greedy and decided to keep them for myself.” You explain. Tom raises a brow at you, “Baby, you don’t have to feel guilty about keeping songs to yourself. If you don’t want to share them, you don’t have to.”

“No, it’s just that, they’re about you.” You pause, staring down at your fingers that fiddled together. “Like I wrote them specifically for you to listen to. I wanted to include them on the album, but it just didn’t feel right to share something that was meant only for you.”

You place your laptop on the bed and turn it so the screen is facing Tom.

“So...as a solution, I made you your own album.” You were too busy avoiding his stare, that you missed the twinkle in Tom’s coffee colored orbs. He carefully sits up, his arms around you getting tighter, as he pulls you closer into his chest. Tom ducks his head down to yours, nudging your nose with his to get you to look at him. When your eyes finally meet, the lopsided grin on his features grows wider.

“You made me my own album?”

“Yeah.” You shyly answer. Tom softly coos at you, cupping your face and pressing a chaste kiss onto both of your cheeks.

“You are the most precious thing in the world, sunshine, I swear.” He squishes your cheeks together and began to cover your face with butterfly like kisses. Sweet laughs erupt from you, the sounds making Tom’s heart swell.

You stuff your face in the space between his neck and shoulder, using it as a place to hide from his lips. Instead, Tom opts to lay his kisses along the side of your face, your neck, and your shoulder.

“Lemme kiss you!” He whines. You chuckle at him, finally moving away from his neck. His attention darts towards your lips more than once, prompting you to lean forward and connect them with his. Tom’s lips were soft against yours, like clouds or cushiony pillows. The kiss was short and sweet; though it didn’t prevent you from feeling the adoration and passion he felt for you in that moment. In fact, he felt it all the time, but right now, his love for you was coursing through his veins.

He finally pulls away, leaving the taste of him linger in your mouth. “Can I have a listen?” He motions his head towards your laptop beside him.

“Go ahead.” Tom’s arms unravel from your waist, the area they once occupied left cold and yearning for his warmth. He uses one of his elbows to hold himself up and the other to control the touchpad. His eyes scan the file.

For Tom x

someone like u

test drive

worst behavior

main thing

He glances at you, “I start with ‘someone like u’, right?” You reply with a quiet “mhm”.

Tom clicks on the link. The opening notes of ‘someone like u’ begin to play followed by your angelic voice. You hear him release a content sigh, making a small smile to form on your lips. His arms make their way around you again, this time holding you closer against him. He rests his head on your chest and sneakily presses a kiss onto your neck. You fondly run a hand through his curly hair and rest your chin on the top of his head, listening to the songs you’ve made for him.

The two of you listen through the album in one go with no stops. You found joy in Tom’s reactions towards every song. Sometimes he would make little comments or sounds of shock whenever he heard you hit a certain note. He nodded along to the beats of ‘test drive’ and ‘worst behavior’, dancing around in his seat and making you join him. This time, you didn’t miss the twinkle in his eyes when he listened closely to the lyrics. ‘Main thing’ got him the most, leaving him with a goofy-lovesick grin plastered onto his face.

When ‘main thing’ came to a close, the room became silent, leaving Tom enough time to process the four songs you wrote about him and the meanings behind them.

You were the first to speak, “So did you like it?” You scan his face looking for any signs of dislike.

Tom’s eyes widen, “Are you kidding me? That was bloody fantastic—that was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard! I’m obsessed with it, oh my god!” He expressed, arms moving around as he spoke.

His face was radiating with happiness, “You are the most talented and loving woman in the world. And I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve you or your love—but I just love you so fucking much.”

“I love you so fucking much too, you dork.” You laugh, pecking his lips.

“No, but seriously, thank you so much. I know you’re used to writing songs, but the fact that you actually took the time to write songs about me means a lot. They’re just a bunch of songs, but they mean the world to me and I cherish each and every one of them.” He admits, taking one of your hands and placing it onto his heart. Your palm feels the faint rhythm of his heart beating against his chest.

You tilt your head at him, mirroring the smile on his face, “I’ll always write songs about you. You somehow manage to inspire them anyway.”

Tom smirks, “Well I am Tom Holland.” You snort and roll your eyes at his humble brag.

“You’re still a dork, Tommy.” You comment.

Tom shrugs, “I’m a special dork because I’m your dork. Therefore making me superior to the other existing dorks—there’s a difference, darling.”

“And where did you come up with this hypothesis, Mr. Holland?” You question him, playing along with his antics.

“It’s Tom’s Theory.” He answers with feign seriousness. You burst out laughing, “Oh is it?”

Tom leans down to your laptop and restarts his album. “Yes, and now Tom’s Theory, believes that we should listen to the album again until I learn all the lyrics to every single song.” He proclaims.

“Babe, you don’t have to—” Tom stops you, “I’m dead serious.”

It was going to be a long night.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

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Tom Holland + characters Taglist

↪︎ @lovableparker @aprettyfleur @sunwardsss @dummiesshort @thotforcriminalminds @cuddlykoala101 @itstaskeen @whoslili @white-wolf1940 @tomsirishgirlx @roseke @kaylans-imagines @spideyspeaches @slutforsebstan

General Taglist

↪︎ @quxxnxfhxll @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @thegirlwiththediary @agustdowney @bi-lmg @rqmanoff @sesamepancakes @stardustofreading

#tom holland x singer!reader #Tom Holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #Tom Holland fluff #tom holland headcanon #avengers #tom holland drabble #mcu #tom holland blurb #marvel #tom holland one shot #ally’s request #thomas stanley holland #Tom Holland one shots

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astrologyandlife · 3 years

Text

the complete guide to astrology - revised

i. introduction

what is astrology? how can we use it to improve our lives? how do we go about studying a seemingly complex subject with such a large body of literature? in this post, i hope to give you guys a solid idea of the basics while providing resources for further reading and learning, curated by yours truly.

to start, astrology is defined as "the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects" (source). its primary use in modern times is as a tool of self-discovery. this is done through a natal chart, which is outlined below.

of course, astrology is used for many other things, ranging from examining relationships, to predicting the outcome of future events, to even locating lost objects. there are many branches of astrology that each have their own set of rules and methods for interpretation of the chart. i will go into more detail about some of these other branches soon. however, all astrology uses the same framework. so what is that?

***before i go further, i want to note that this guide contains a comprehensive resources section, section v, which contains a lot of helpful supplementary information such as cafeastrology's article on understanding the astrological chart wheel, a full glossary of astrological terms, and various subjects not explicitly defined or covered in-depth in this guide like retrograde planets and interceptions.***

now onto the guide! :-)

ii. the framework

perhaps the key piece of astrology is the natal chart:

the natal chart is a visual representation of where the celestial bodies were at the time of birth. it seems complex at first glance, but it is possible to break it down to better understand it. in this section, i will elaborate on four components that come together to form the picture. These are the zodiac signs (inner ring), planets (around the ring), aspects (lines in the middle), and houses (numbers on the outer ring).

zodiac signs

in astrology, the zodiac signs are the most essential, core pieces of the puzzle. this is because they represent traits or energies. they are modes of expression. aries: cardinal + fire, enthusiastic, passionate, impatient, childlike, leader, hotheaded, dynamic, quick to react, competitive, impulsive, direct, outgoing, extroverted, positive. ruled by mars and the first house. taurus: fixed + earth, stubborn, patient, strong-willed, down-to-earth, hard workers, sensual, persevering, materialistic, focused, strong, realistic, enduring, habitual, hard to anger, love of nature. ruled by venus and the second house. gemini: mutable + air, chatty, social butterflies, adaptable, flexible, clever, witty, sarcastic, curious, scattered, lighthearted, changeable, multitaskers, jack-of-all-trades, smart, flighty. ruled by mercury and the third house. cancer: cardinal + water, emotional, sensitive, gentle, intuitive, motherly, moody, defensive, protective, caring, empathetic, imaginative, sentimental, passive, introverted, shy, homebody. ruled by the moon and the fourth house. leo: fixed + fire, confident, dramatic, theatrical, warm, generous, supportive, strong-willed, loyal, honest, authentic, loves pleasure, big personality, self-centered, courageous, magnetic, expressive, assertive. ruled by the sun and the fifth house. virgo: mutable + earth, methodical, serious, perfectionist, critical, practical, detail-oriented, analytical, competent, helpful, enjoys service, reserved, sensible, down-to-earth, intellectual. ruled by mercury and the sixth house. libra: cardinal + air, outgoing, friendly, agreeable, diplomatic, avoids conflict, polite, charming, refined, pacifistic, tolerant, craves connection, indecisive, romantic, artistic, hesitant, fair, good conversationalist, gossip. ruled by venus and the seventh house. scorpio: fixed + water, secretive, possessive, introverted, honest, genuine, intense, independent, lone wolf type, intuitive, analytical, persistent, passionate, ambitious, proud, committed, clever, competitive. ruled by pluto and the eighth house. sagittarius: mutable + fire, optimistic, positive, big picture thinkers, extroverted, jovial, loves adventure, blunt, straightforward, open-minded, future-oriented, faithful, independent, energetic, needs freedom. ruled by jupiter and the ninth house. capricorn: cardinal + earth, serious, disciplined, mature, takes responsibility, hard-working, thoughtful, traditional, dry sense of humor, objective, independent, ambitious, reliable, patient. ruled by saturn and the tenth house. aquarius: fixed + air, progressive, eccentric, independent, needs freedom, detached, intellectual, authentic, accepting, open-minded, non-judgemental, outgoing, determined, humanitarian, future-oriented. ruled by uranus and the eleventh house. pisces: artistic, sensitive, distant look, compassionate, empathetic, escapist, intuitive, heart over head, understanding, introspective, needs alone time, soft-spoken, emotional, imaginative, faithful, romantic, fluid, adaptable. ruled by neptune and the twelfth house.

planets

the planets give direction to the traits expressed by the zodiac signs. this direction comes in the form of facets of our personalities. personal/"inner" planets sun: ego, general personality, vitality, focus, father figure. domicile=leo / detriment=aquarius / exalted=aries / fall=libra moon: emotions, intuitions, gut reactions, instincts, needs, mother figure. domicile=cancer / detriment=capricorn / exalted=taurus / fall=scorpio mercury: communication, mental abilities, information processing. domicile=gemini or virgo / detriment=sagittarius or pisces / exalted=virgo / fall=pisces venus: romance, personal style, love style, attraction, taste. domicile=taurus or libra / detriment=scorpio or aries / exalted=pisces / fall=virgo mars: drive, motivations, anger, physical attraction, physical activity. domicile=aries/ detriment=libra/ exalted=capricorn / fall=cancer

impersonal/"outer" planets jupiter: expansion + growth, talents, opportunities, luck. domicile=sagittarius / detriment=gemini / exalted=cancer / fall=capricorn saturn: fears, where we feel repressed/restricted, where we must learn and become disciplined. domicile=capricorn/ detriment=cancer/ exalted=libra / fall=aries uranus: individuality, eccentric/uniqueness, suddenness, technology. domicile=aquarius / detriment=leo / exalted=scorpio / fall=taurus neptune: confusion, blurred lines, lack of boundaries, deception, sacrifice, dreams. domicile=pisces / detriment=virgo / exalted=cancer / fall=capricorn pluto: transformation, raw power, death, secrets. domicile=scorpio / detriment=taurus / exalted=aquarius / fall=leo

planets in their domicile or exalted sign are said to be strong, while planets in their detriment or fall sign are weak. stronger planets express themselves much more naturally. weaker planets can bring problems into the individual's life, especially if poorly aspected.

aspects

the next step is the aspects, which is the interaction between these facets of our personality and how easily we express them. positive aspects are marked green, negative are marked red. conjunction (0°): the unification of two planets that allows their energies to merge and be expressed as one. square (90°): tension between two planets that creates conflict or patterns of avoidance. opposition (180°): tension between two planets that results in conflict or patterns of projection. quincunx (150°): completely different energies that are unable to be integrated or properly managed. trine (120°): two planets that mesh well together, often manifesting as a talent or skill within the individual. sextile (60°): two planets with energy so similar they are seamlessly and effortlessly expressed together.

houses

finally, the houses represent the stage where all of this expression occurs in our external life. first (ascendant, ASC): first impressions, physical appearance, the vibe we give off, our view/philosophy of life. second: our values, sense of self-worth and confidence, money, physical possessions. third: communication style, early education, siblings, neighbors and neighborhood, thinking patterns, short trips. fourth (imum coeli, IC): home, family, the house, early life + childhood, background, roots, memories, father figure. fifth: self-expression, creativity, hobbies, interests, children, pleasure, short-term relationships. sixth: physical health, daily routine, coworkers, job, pets, service to others. seventh (descendant, DSC): marriage, spouse, long-term relationships, other people. eighth: shared resources, inheritances, death, transformation, crisis, hidden things. ninth: higher education, travel, foreign/distant places, diversity, expansion and growth. tenth (midheaven, MC): career, reputation, online persona, success, goals for the future, mother figure. eleventh: groups and organizations, the wider collective, our friend group, wishes and aspirations. twelfth: losses, grief and sorrow, subconscious or unconscious things, confusion, lack of boundaries, sacrifice.

iii. the interpretation process + notes

to interpret a natal chart, i have a specific process that i utilize. i will outline it in this section, giving notes along the way where i see fit. there are many ways of interpreting charts, however, so use this more as a guide than a hard and fast rule.

✨the process ✨

look at the chart as a whole, taking notice of: a. planets clustered together in one sign/house (note: 3+ planets in a house is called a stellium) b. planets "sitting on/"conjunct the angles (1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th) c. lone planets that are just sitting by themselves d. completely empty houses e. major aspect patterns, such as the t-square, grand trine, etc.

next, look at the sign of the ascendant and determine the chart ruler a. examine the condition of both, such as major aspects (aspects of 5° or less)

check out the sun's sign, house, and major aspects

do the same for the moon, and consider the relationship it has to the sun

next, check out the sign, house, and major aspects of the three other personal planets

look at the three other angles: the IC, DSC, and MC to determine their condition

look at the house and any major aspects to personal planets for the outer planets

find the lord of any empty houses and determine what house it sits in, as well as its condition there

finally, any asteroids or minor bodies of interest a. typically these only influence the individual if they make an aspect to the personal planets or angles, like outer planets

some other things to take into account: which element/planet/sign is dominant in the chart, where the ruler of each house sits, are there planets at 0° or 29°, degree theory, midpoints, and planets in retrograde.

iv. other chart types

so far, i've exclusively been talking about the natal chart. however, there are several chart types with other purposes ranging from examining the compatibility of two people, to predicting what might occur in the year ahead, to even answering questions. i'll give a brief run-down of some of them here:

solar return: a chart drawn for the exact moment the sun returns to the sign and degree it was at when you were born. it is said to represent what will occur in the year ahead.

synastry: this chart examines the relationship between two people by seeing how both of their charts interact with each other. it is a representation of how they affect each other.

composite: like the synastry chart, a composite looks at the relationship between two people. it does this by creating a chart of the midpoints between the placements of their charts. it is a representation of the relationship itself and what it's like.

progressed: a chart that shows how a person's personality and life circumstances change over time, calculated by adding one day to your birthday for every year of your life.

draconic: a chart that supposedly represents your "true nature," which is who you were before your life experiences. it works by setting the north node to aries and adjusting every other placement accordingly.

transit: this is simply a chart of what the sky looks like on any given day. this can be compared to a natal chart to see what influences are acting on an individual or to examine long-term trends.

these are by no means all of the chart types, or even the most important, but they are the most common ones you will see discussed here. furthermore, every chart type uses the same framework and many of the same rules in regards to interpretation, making them extremely valuable tools to have in your toolset!

v. resources

below here is a list of websites, articles, tools, etc. that are extremely helpful for learning astrology. every single resource in this list is 100% approved by me, and i have used or read through all of them myself, many of which i still refer back to now. there are also resources that go more in-depth about some of the topics mentioned in this guide, if you're confused or want to know more. feel free to take a peek!

websites a. https://advanced-astrology.com/ b. http://astrologyking.com/ c. https://astromatrix.org/ d. https://www.astro-seek.com/ e. https://www.alwaysastrology.com/index.html f. http://www.thedarkpixieastrology.com/ g. https://cafeastrology.com/ h. https://www.astrology.com/learn i. https://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/index.php j. http://www.astrologersforum.com/forum/index.php

calculators a. https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php b. https://www.astro.com/cgi/genchart.cgi c. https://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php d. https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/birth-chart-horoscope-online e. https://astro-charts.com/tools/new/birthchart/

blogs a. @astrologymarina b. @astraltwelve c. @astrolovecosmos d. @twelvehousemoon e. @ms-m-astrologer f. @saintzjenx

faq/specific resources/what's on my bookmarks bar a. A glossary of astrology-related terms b. how fast do the planets move through the signs? c. what is degree theory? d. which signs square and oppose each other? e. how do you find your dominant sign/planet/etc? f. astrology 101 by astrologymarina g. what are retrogrades? h. a brief interpretation for every planet in every sign i. a complete ephemeris up to the 22nd century j. what are interceptions? k. what are the 29th and 0 degree? l. how to read the chart wheel?

books a. the only astrology book you'll ever need, joanne martine woolfolk b. chart interpretation handbook, stephen arroyo c. the twelve houses, howard sasportas d. aspects in astrology, sue thompkins e. discover the aspect pattern in your birth chart: a comprehensive guide, glenn mitchell f. the art of forecasting using solar return charts, anthony louis g. the astrology of family dynamics, erin sullivan h. midpoints: identify and integrate midpoints into horoscope synthesis, don mcbroom i. retrograde planets: traversing the inner landscape, erin sullivan

vi. final notes

you did it! this is the end of my revised guide to astrology, and hopefully this has been helpful for you to understand the basic workings of the practice. astrology can be really rewarding and fascinating, and even after eight years i still come across topics that i've never heard about!

as always, my inbox is open for any questions you may have. if anything is unclear or you think of ways to improve this guide, feel free to tell me as well. thanks for sticking with me, folks!

#i did it boys #i revised my guide #astrology #natal chart #other #guide

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fancybelieverdinosaur · 3 years

Note

A rough translation of the latest pod… I actually found it quiet funny 🤷‍♀️ especially that P admitted that she is bad at cooking 😅

Pernille on the continued praise: I don’t think about it a lot. I have kind of gotten used to it. As long as I am being highlighted for good topics it makes me proud. It makes me proud because It is topics I am passionate about, equal rights for example. So when I’m being highlighted I know there are people listening who knows that I’m trying to make a difference.

Pernille talking about herself as a footballer: it is always difficult to talk about yourself. But I am very ambitious, very goal oriented, I want to achieve as much as possible in my career. Outside the pitch I am much more down to earth, quiet, calm. I care about some important topics. Try to make the world a better place.

Pernille on her strengths: I am very goal oriented. I rarely give up.

Junge on Pernille’s strengths: she dares to speak up. Especially concerning Lgbtq she’s really started to speak up. I remember when we were younger, she could seem like the quiet type, but on topics she really cared about, whether it was football or her agenda, she spoke her mind. She is not necessarily the loudest but she will speak her mind and that is one of her strengths.

Pernille on speaking her mind: it is some thing I had to grow into especially as I got older. And as Junge said, it is something I have started to do the last couple of years. I had to become comfortable with myself and trust my opinions. I think I have the right opinions and if I can get someone else to listen, I feel like I have succeeded.

Pernille on doubting (herself): I think everyone will have doubts. everyone will have good periods and bad periods. luckily for me there is far between the bad periods and when they do arrive I will work my way out of it. I will do so through mental training and through experience. Knowing what I am capable of. It will hit you throughout your career. It can even be a season that is quite good. For example last year when I changed to Chelsea and arrived with a lot of expectations. And sometimes I did start to doubt whether I could live up to the expectations. That kind of thoughts will even I get. But when i do, I work my way out of it. I think about the process and the things that I am capable of controlling.

Pernille on seeming calm and living up to expectations: there is a lot of expectations. But it’s some thing I’ve gotten used to. But again it’s thinking about the process, the things I can do better, but also knowing there are things that I am fully capable of. And those I lean on. So it’s about not letting your emotions drive you, but focusing on the things that you can control. It’s important not to act on your emotions. for example in a game it is important to get the frustrations out elsewhere than on the pitch. Otherwise I might end up with a red card. Or if I have lower self-esteem it would mean I do not want to receive the ball. So it’s important to use the brain more than the emotions. But there is definitely girl who sometimes doubts herself behind the strong for facade.

Pernille on her continued development: In specifics, there are a few things around the box, improve my decision making to make the changes even bigger. I will continually aim to improve even if there are people who think that I am already good at it.

Pernille on how she got to where she is: it has a lot to do with my family. When I was younger I didn’t really appreciate the time and the miles they put in. But it has had a major influence. And then because it’s always been a dream, and I’ve sacrificed what I had to to obtain that dream. Worked crazy hard.

Pernille on the drive for success: I think it’s an inner motivation. A wish for becoming one of the best. An acceptance that I had to get up early to get to the Academy training. I remember being nervous before every session, but I made myself endure it. There was just an inner drive to be better. It is kind of difficult to explain.

Pernille on whether she’s good at taking time off: I’ve become better at it. When I was younger I weren’t very good at it. My parents both instilled that you have to work hard and cannot sleep your way through it, but also to enjoy life. Otherwise it gets too hard if everything is about football. But I haven’t always been good at it. Are used to be addicted to training.

Pernille on her ambitions back in 2013: even back then I had big ambitions. I went into the euros in Sweden at age 21 wanting to win at all and be the best. I wanted to be the best even when I was a 16-year-old playing with 32-year-olds. But not just individually, I also wanted what was best for the national team, for us to get as far as possible.

Pernille on what she would’ve wanted to know back then: I don’t know actually. I was pretty smart already back then. But I think, at the bottom of it, you can make it very far if you work for it and have the will to do so. It is not all talent. I have seen a few players throughout my time and it is not necessary to have the most talent but you have to have a crazy work ethic and have a winning mentality. And that can really take you far.

Pernille on decisive moves throughout her career: my change to Linkjoping. I chose not to go to the big clubs, but went to one that needed me as a player. But I was incredibly lucky to get a coach after half a year, to this day is still the best coach I’ve had. That really developed me as a player. But other than that my moves have been very thought through. Only taking the next step when I was ready for it. I only moved to Wolfsburg when I was ready for it and then later Chelsea. Because for some young players everything can move too fast. When as a young player there’s all the sudden interest you can make a decision that is not the best for you. And in that sense I think I’ve made the right decisions.

Pernille on what the The national team means: it means everything. To come home. To play for Denmark. It makes me incredibly proud. Especially in the big tournaments, Now that we’re heading to the euros I am just excited. Back in 2017 to see how we just gathered Denmark behind us, And we saw how the men did it last summer, we’re just looking forward to doing it again.

Junge on Pernille as a Captain: she takes responsibility but also let others. In the sense that she’s not very authoritative, she wants to listen to others. But when it is needed she will be the one in front. She wants to let her opinion be known. Show her experience. But at the same time she’s very open to others opinion and accepts that she doesn’t know it all.

Kuhl on Pernille as a captain: she’s very open. Has really embraced me. You really feel that she is aleader.

Pernille on herself as a captain: it is some thing I’m very aware of. As you said I was named captain quite early and it is some thing I had to learn over time. When I was 23 I didn’t think about it a lot, I was a lot more focused on being a captain on the pitch. I have had to learn that there was more to it. To also be a captain outside the pitch. But also that a captain doesn’t have to do it all but can delegate. I can delegate all the practical boring things. Just kidding, of course I can do the practical things as well. But I think it is important for a leader to realize that you can trust your teammates too. I think especially in the tough situation I enjoyed being the captain. Both outside the pitch if anyone has problems they can come to me. But also on the pitch if someone needs me to show the way. I’m very happy because it shows that my teammates trust and value what are you do and how I lead.

Pernille on what the national team wants to express: happiness. Togetherness. That we are playing to bring pleassure, make Denmark proud. That we are happy. Win matches. And play fun and interesting football.

Pernille on what she is bad at: I don’t think I’m bad at anything. No sure there is something. Some might think I’m bad at cooking.

Junge on what Pernille is bad at: Losing. But that might be an advantage in itself. I don’t actually know, but I have heard she’s bad at cooking. It’s her girlfriend that takes care of that. But that’s only something I’ve heard I’ve never experienced it.

Pernille on whether Junge is right: A bad loser yes for sure. But that is just a motivation to be better. As for the cooking, I am not the most creative. But I am very good at carrying out instructions. And although I might be the captain in Denmark, I am perfectly fine with taking a backseat concerning things I am not passionate about.

Pernille on the correlation between Pernille the footballer and Pernille the person: they are both similarities and differences. On the pitch I am a lot more outgoing, not necessarily aggressive, but more expressive. In private I am a lot more calm. But there are things that I care about off the pitch that I am as ambitious about as my football.

Kuhl on Pernille outside the pitch: she’s been open. Easy to talk to. Super nice.

Kuhl on Pernille as a role model: always been a big name that I have looked up to. It’s a name I remember from when I was very young. She has had a major influence for a lot of young girls including me. It was very prominent that she got her debut as a 16-year-old and scored a Hattrick, it is of course some thing I strive for too.

Junge on Pernille Outside the pitch: I think the easiest way to explain her is she has her legs solidly planted on the ground. She’s not let anything get to her head, become arrogant or anything. I really admire that she is still the same girl.

Pernille on staying humble: probably something I was raised with from home. A girl from Western Jutland cannot get to arrogant. And then because I’m not satisfied. There are still things I feel like I can improve.

Pernille The development of women’s soccer: it has really developed up a lot. Really sped up the last four or five years. I remember at my debut at the national team not a lot of games were shown on TV, not just in Denmark but in all of Europe. Now we see the big TV deals. So a lot is happening. both sky showing the English league and the Denz showing champions league. It shows that the women’s game is more attractive.

Pernille On the women’s game in Denmark: Because a lot of the international leagues are investing quite heavily, we see a lot of the Danish girls move abroad. So the Danish league has become a youth league. For the development of young players. It’s super cool to see your team as HB Køge, that are investing in their women’s team, they can make it to the champions league group stage. So I hope it is an eye-opener to a lot of the other teams. Especially the men’s team. If you invest just a little in the women’s game it goes a long way. It is worth the investment. But I would like the process to speed up. I hear from the girls on the national team how the facilities and the situation are here. I think it could get better. I think the bigger clubs should invest. It is not the biggest investment you have to make to ensure decent facilities. It is what it would take for me to come back to Denmark to play. The big clubs should invest more. We should recruit more foreign players. I am not sure currently any of the Danish clubs, maybe the top three, would be able to make it in the English league.

Pernille on future plans: yes I am getting old. Already at a quite young age I made a plan for how my career should play out. A few years at Chelsea now. I’d like to try a different European league. May be a few years in the States. But we will see how it plays out.

Pernille on what she wants to be remembered for: A player that has won and achieved a lot. But also just a dedicated player. Someone who’s been motivated and continue to improve even until the end. And someone who spoke up for the things that mattered.

Wow. I am speechless. Thank you🙌😍

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the-seas-song · 3 years

Text

Richard Armitage and Astrology

Hi! I find astrology fascinating, and am an armchair expert on it myself, so I found Richard's comments in his recent Total Film Magazine interview very interesting. This is what he said:

I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ve dabbled with having my celestial chart looked at every couple of years, just for a little tune-up. Every time, the guy sighs, and goes, “What can I say? You’ve just got a sprinkle of luck.” And I say, “That’s good, because I don’t have the talent, so I really need the luck!”

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There is a naughty, dark side to me. I am quite strongly affected by the moon. So if there’s a full moon I’ll go a bit crazy. (source)

This isn't the first time Richard's mentioned astrology – he's mentioned being a Leo, reading his daily horoscope, and finding out he was born in the Chinese Year of the Pig; but these were all informal twitter comments. He has also mentioned the effect the moon has on him before, in February 2020:

“Everyone has cycles of positive mental and emotional feelings and negative mental and emotional feelings and I know that I am profoundly affected on a monthly cycle. I always look at the calendar when I'm feeling particularly low and check the lunar cycle to see if it's a full or new moon.” (source)

However, what prompted me to write this is that Richard's personal put-downs were even more direct here than usual; and the connection that has to his natal, or birth, chart.

A little disclaimer: Personally, I think general horoscopes (like the ones you find in magazines) do far more harm than good. They are based solely on the twelve sun signs, and your sun sign is just one puzzle piece out of 25+ pieces that make up your natal chart. This is why many people don't relate to their horoscope or it's personality description.

Your natal chart, however, is a whole different animal. It's an intricate puzzle created by the exact date, time, and location you were born; which is why most people find their natal charts to be scarily accurate.

Back during the Hobbit days, a fan blog reported that Richard told a NZ fan that his birth time was just after 4 a.m. I used 4:05 for this post, and being off by a few minutes doesn't really make a difference.

Richard and self-esteem

I really feel for and relate to Richard's self-esteem struggles, because our charts mirror each other. We are both Leo suns; but I have my moon in Aries with my MC and Chiron conjunct each other in Virgo and sextile my North Node; while Richard has his moon in Virgo with his MC and Chiron conjunct each other in Aries and sextile his North Node.

What on earth does that mean?

Each planet represents a different part of you. The sun represents your ego/conscious self; the moon your emotions, mercury your mind/intellect, venus love and beauty/aesthetics, mars passion and drive, etc.

On top of the twelve planets, there are specific points and asteroids that are also important. Your MC, or Midheaven, represents your career and public persona. Your North Node describes your inner journey and life purpose. The asteroid Chiron describes your major soul wound, that you will be forced to deal with throughout your life.

A conjunction and a sextile are two of several different kinds of aspects. The different kinds of aspects are the different ways your respective puzzle pieces can interact with each other. Some are 'easy/positive' and some 'difficult/negative'. A sextile is considered easy/positive. A conjunction means two things are next to each other and overlap with one another, and is usually considered positive.

Leo and Aries are both fire signs. Fire signs are generally playful, warm, passionate, confident, and optimistic. Virgo is an earth sign. Earth signs are generally practical, grounded, sensual, and logical.

Richard's personality is dominated by an almost equal amount of Leo and Virgo influence, with both his sun (core self) and venus (love and beauty) in Leo and his moon (emotions) and mercury (mind) in Virgo.

Aries and Virgo are said to be the most difficult Chiron signs, because they are the wounds tied directly to your self-worth (Aries is the wound of Self and Virgo is the wound of Perfection). With Aries Chiron you feel a core sense of worthlessness, like you're missing a fundamental piece of your core self. This deeply felt lack of self-worth leads people to be people pleasers and have issues with confrontation and conflict.

Aries rules the planet mars. It is the warrior planet of passion, drive, and combat. A conventional Aries is confident, outgoing, impulsive, and strong willed. Aries and mars are definitely the rowdiest sign and planet in the zodiac. However, with Chiron here the traits are inverted, and so someone like Richard is much more likely to be scared of his inner passion, confidence, and willpower – depending, of course, on what the rest of his chart is like.

That leads us to Virgo. Chiron Virgo feels impure, like there is something fundamentally wrong with them. This kind of low self-esteem makes you feel like you have to constantly try to 'fix' yourself so people will love and accept you. It's an OCD type of perfectionism that only ends in failure and heartbreak.

A good example of how this works is when I talked to my therapist recently. I hadn't quite succeeded in meeting my goals, and so my automatic response was to condemn myself for failing. My therapists immediate response was to congratulate me on how much progress I had made.

Ironically, unlike with Aries, this isn't an inversion of the conventional Virgo. Conventional Virgo is meticulous, detail-oriented, focused, patient, efficient, practical, perfectionistic, systematic, and pessimistic with high expectations. If Aries is the official warrior of the zodiac, Virgo is the official nit-picker.

This means that Richard's subconscious intellectually (mercury) and emotionally (moon) expects and demands perfection, whilst simultaneously feeling fundamentally worthless. In short: ouch.

Interestingly, a significant number of celebrities have their Chiron conjunct their MC. Personally, I think Richard hit the nail on the head as to why in his essay on the Human Condition for Cybersmile:

The answer in my humble opinion, (and believe me it is humble, to a point of taking 43 years to be shared) is actually something which applies to my work as an actor. It’s why sometimes actors are called in to work with therapists, in large corporations, in schools. It’s why drama therapy is fantastic to understand what we do, how we do it and what the outcome might be, and in an improvisation where we aren’t playing ourselves sometimes we explore avenues that are too frightening or unacceptable in our own lives.

[cut]

So going back to my very first point, the “social media society” in which we’d all like to feel safe, supported, excited, creative, spontaneous, innovative, courageous, is really in our own hands. And back to acting, it’s taken me a long time to shake off the effects of bullying in school. That people were always laughing behind my back. I was always looking out of the corner of my eye. I now have incredible peripheral vision which is so useful, (as is Kinesthetic sense…Google it) but try being a brave, experimental, uninhibited actor with all of those hang ups. Wasn’t happening.

So here is the thing, and it’s key to my work and I think ours as a community. When we speak or write, we ultimately desire to ‘affect’. If we aren’t watching the destination of that affect, then how do we know our words have landed and the ‘effect’ they have caused?

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If I have a strong opinion about something which I want to express I really task myself with backing it up with the ‘why do I feel that?’

Again it’s part of my work building a believable character, and actually part of building a believable ‘me’ outside of my work. Just.. “because that’s what I feel” is a bit of a cop out.

[cut]

As for Bullying, it’s like the moment the pot boils over, or it’s the poisoned stream that can’t be cleansed, so why bother. Well I think that’s what art is for. It’s can support the best and the worst of ourselves. We can ‘attack’ a canvas with black angry paint, we can ‘savage’ a piano keyboard, we can dance until we drop, we can read about a Puritan society who executed elders, we can explore the psychology of a serial killer, and when we can’t do this ourselves we can experience it, and witness it through others.

It’s more than being nice. Edward Munch’s “The Scream” is far from nice. Francisco Goya’s “Saturn” is horrific, Metallica, Die Antwoort etc etc. But then there is Monet, Faure, Renée Fleming, Peter Jackson, Ariana Grande (ok it’s getting a bit eclectic I admit) but when we look, listen and empathize, we tune in to the Human Condition.

We are all part of The Human Condition, whether we like it or not. Social Media. Expression. The Human Condition.

Us human beings are wired for emotion and connection. For actors, their career gives them a way to safely process and explore their personal wounds through the characters they play. For Richard in particular, his mars is conjunct his North Node. So, his mars and North Node are sextile his Chiron and MC.

Remember, Aries (the sign of Richard's Chiron and MC) is ruled by mars. Mars is the warrior planet, like Aries is the warrior sign. This means that Richard's spiritual journey/life's purpose (North Node) deals directly with healing his soul wound so he can accept and embrace his inner confidence and willpower. This explains why he ends up playing a lot of ultra-masculine characters – mars/Aries are the most macho of them all.

This isn't to say I think Richard should change who he is! I wouldn't be interested in him if he was ultra-masculine or macho. However, for his own sake, I would be overjoyed to see him gain more self-esteem and inner confidence.

Extrapolating from my own personal experiences, the constant criticism and judgement I received during my adolescence from my peers and various authority figures (like family members and teachers) for being unconventional and 'over the top' caused me to turn on myself and repress my passion and will-power for several years. I think it's highly likely that Richard experienced this too.

Here are some quotes from Richard that illustrate everything I've been talking about (emphasis is mine):

Armitage is still notably handsome, but, within minutes of meeting him, it’s apparent how incongruous it is that this bookish, sensitive, self-described ‘melancholic, philosophically-minded softie’ and ardent fan of The Great British Bake Off was cast as beefcake killer totty for a considerable part of his career. ‘It’s ridiculous. It’s the complete opposite to who I am. I’m such a pacifist,’ he laughs. ‘But then, part of me always felt: “Well, isn’t that why we’re actors?”

[cut]

'I think the turning point was losing my mum,” he says. “Up until that point, I felt like I mustn’t put a foot wrong, that if I said the wrong thing or revealed too much about my personal life, it could all come crashing down, and it would come down on my parents, and they wouldn’t be proud of me anymore.” He shrugs. “Now that I’m past that I’m actually much more carefree about the choices I make.” (source)

Richard Armitage puts his head in his hands and emits a noise that's somewhere between a sigh, a laugh and a groan. “Oh no! Why would you want to pin this up?” he says with a horrified whisper.

[cut]

Never has a man seemed more ill at ease with the heartthrob label. He squirms with embarrassment in his chair every time the subject comes up. He is grateful for the loyalty of his fans, he says, but worries that “there is this thing of, 'Is he just totty?' Because the industry will sometimes write you off as a serious actor if they think that. I have always been conscious of that and fought against it, because I don't really see myself like that at all.”

[cut]

This brings us back to Astrov, who looks so relentless towards the future that he can't see the truth in front of his eyes. “It's interesting that he's an outsider in the play. I've often felt like that myself in life. I'm quite a solitary person. I enjoy my time with me, and sometimes it's not necessarily healthy, because I can talk myself into quite a dark place.

I'm an optimist, but at the same time, there's a discipline in me that will attack me for not working hard enough, not achieving enough, not being good enough. You always think, 'I'll grow out of that. With success, those voices will disappear.' But they don't, they get louder. I suppose I'm learning a bit about myself through Astrov.” (source)

The answer in my humble opinion, (and believe me it is humble, to a point of taking 43 years to be shared) is actually something which applies to my work as an actor. … And back to acting, it’s taken me a long time to shake off the effects of bullying in school. That people were always laughing behind my back. I was always looking out of the corner of my eye. I now have incredible peripheral vision which is so useful, (as is Kinesthetic sense…Google it) but try being a brave, experimental, uninhibited actor with all of those hang ups. Wasn’t happening. (Human Condition essay)

So I kind of travelled on that line for a while, and I was bullied for it as well. The problem with me is that as soon as you try to push me down or say “you can’t do this” and “I don’t think you should do that”, I immediately push back. So I did – I’d decided really young that I was going to try to make a career out of it.

[cut]

Actually, there was something I wanted to add to what Shaun said, about inclusivity, is that um, no matter how – how much confidence you have or how, in my case, lack. Y’know, I always felt like a misfit, or an oddball, or that I didn’t belong. But I always – I always told myself that ‘you exist in the world, so therefore there’s a place for you in this industry’. I think anybody who feels like, “I can’t become an actor because…” – you exist. And, y’know, the job of filmmakers is to write about our life and society, and if you are a part of that, then there’s a place for you in the industry. (source)

I'm a bit of a brooder. I don't like confrontation, so I think I suppress things. When my temper does come out, it goes all the way – the kind of temper you can't apologize for. Yep, the chair getting thrown out of the window. Those emotions are scary, but hey, they come in useful when you're acting. (source)

Armitage is a noticeably calm presence but he talks with passion.

[cut]

In the past, he has described himself as a shy person. “Not any more,” he says forcefully. “I mean… if I’m very, very honest, I’m a big guy, I think I’m at times quite a frightening person.”

In what way?

“I think I’m quite uncompromising. I can’t bear bulls---. And in a way the shyness is me protecting other people from that. I can feel that there’s an intimidation that can happen if I own my full height, and speak at my full volume. So I’ve learned over the years to just tone it all down a bit.” (source)

I've become one of those actors who find it difficult to say no when things are offered. I think if I had come out of drama school and been an instant Hollywood superstar I would be taking long, leisurely holidays. But I always feel somehow it's going to be taken away from me so I work when I can. When you struggled with work as I did when I left drama school you make hay when the sun shines. There was a time when I thought, and my agent thought, it wasn't going to happen for me. We both sat down and I actually said I don't know if I can stay in this state. The interesting roles have only come since I got into my 30s. But I didn't know that was going to happen. I'm a bit of an all or nothing kind of guy. To be honest, I had no blind faith in myself. I don't think I could have stayed around as a jobbing actor. I would probably have quit. Who knows? I think I would have found that too frustrating. But at the moment when I thought I was going to quit, something happened and it all changed again. (source)

[talking about being cast in the Hobbit]

There was a little bit of guidance as to what they were looking for. I felt that I was too young for the character, too tall for that character, so I thought, you know, ‘I’ll just look at the scene they’ve written’. And then I realised the essence of the character that they were aiming for. So I went to meet Peter and Phillipa and we read some of the scenes. I think we spent an hour-and-a-half talking about the character and what their vision was, and I sort of explained who I thought he was, and that was it.

[cut]

Yeah, my first instinct, whenever that kind of thing happens, is to say, 'Well what's wrong with the part? Why did nobody else want it'? Which is kind of the story of my life really. When I get offered something, I'm like, 'Well there must be something wrong with it if they're offering it to me!'

[cut]

But you know, the thing is, you talk about all of this: ‘How did you get the role? And how did it feel when you got the role?’ And once all that’s died down you start to think, ‘I’ve actually got to go and play this now’. They’ve trusted me. Everyone’s happy, everyone’s celebrated, the phones have gone down and the deal’s been done. Now it’s over to me to make the role work. And that’s the scariest moment, because you do have that elation and then the work begins and you think, ‘How the hell am I going to do this?’ (source)

How was it for you taking on this beloved role, this character that has such a huge responsibilty on his back? Could you relate in some ways?

Richard Armitage: Yeah. There is always building within him this paranoia that he’s not a good enough leader, and that weighs him down. I have experienced that same feeling as an actor in this role. And I was aware of taking on the responsibility of that character, so there was something I could latch onto there, as one of the people who loved ‘The Hobbit’ book and had envisioned that character. It took me a while to be convinced that I could do it, it wasn’t until I saw some sketches, this one particular pencil sketch….there was something about this characters eyes and the way that his hands are crossed, I thought, “I think I can do this, I can pull this off.” (source)

Q: I wanted to ask you about what your Arkenstone is. For you personally.

A: Me personally?

Q: And I meant for this to be materialistic. What's the thing that you covet so much that it makes you mad that you don't have it?

A: Well, it's actually not material. It's not material, and it's – (laughs) You want a comedy answer, don't you? But it's respect. It's the thing that always eludes you, you know. You have to fight for it and when you get it, your arkenstone, the thing that crowns you, is respect.

Q: And also a sweater.

A: And a sweater. I do have this little natty number.

Q: It's a good one man.

A: Tom Ford made this personally. But hey, he can have it back. I don't covet wealth and material. (source)

Q6: You’ve done a variety of different roles, I wonder what influences you to pursue those roles?

R: More often than not, you go where you’re wanted. So getting hired is still kind of a revelation to me, a shock and a surprise. Sometimes you have very flat periods, where I don’t really care what comes next, I just want to work on something. I feel like I’ve got a little cloud of luck over my head so the right thing always seems to come along. But again, I’m easily excited about literature and stories, so I’ve always said I don’t really pursue glory, I’d happily do acting for two people in my living room if it was a role that I really enjoyed with a story I’d really like to tell. So it’s chance, I would say.

[cut]

Q8: Once in an interview about Thorin, you were asked what your arkenstone was and your answer was respect. I like this answer a lot. So I was wondering what’s your red dragon? As you said yesterday he’s a character who sheds his skin, improves, and becomes something. I was wondering if there was something you’d like to improve, become?

R: I guess the antithesis of that is disrespect. Do you mean in myself?

Q8: Yes.

R: Yeah I try not to be too disrespectful. I guess I value the truth. I think we’re living at a time at the moment where the truth is warped and there’s a word that’s been in my head for a long time, and particularly recently it’s come to the surface. When I was studying Macbeth, at the RSC, I read a long thesis about the gunpowder plot, which was one of the things they thought that Shakespeare (or whoever Shakespeare was) was stimulated by to write Macbeth. And the word equivocation was used in this thesis, it was actually about equivocation and what equivocation is. And if you look it up in the dictionary, at the moment most politicians are equivocating. When you don’t answer a question, or you bend the truth to make it seem like you are answering the question, and in fact you’re telling a lie. So I would say my red dragon would be equivocation.

[cut]

Then there was the physical form that I was studying and observing, but also, I do sometimes enjoy locking myself away in a room and reading a book or just doing something alone, and you sometimes can go a couple of days without speaking to anybody. I don’t know whether anyone else experiences this or whether I’m just a weirdo. But I find that when that happens my voice changes, and I always forget how to make a noise, I have to do a warm-up before I go into the world and start speaking again.

[cut]

Q15: I was wondering if you ever had to pull out of a project because it felt wrong or something, and what is the point where you say “nope I can’t do this”?

R: Um, no. But that’s partly to do with the fact that I have a lot of loyalty, probably too much loyalty for my own good, really, and there’ve been moment when I’ve been on board a project, and actually it happened this year with The Lodge, I was already on board that project and something else came along which was bigger and better and brighter and more money, and your agent says “look we can pull you out of The Lodge, they can probably recast it,” and here I think “I’ve already started this process, I don’t want to let people down,” and I don’t have a problem with that at all, I never have any regrets over the things that you miss or the things that you decide not to do, I think there’s a strong enough reason why you’ve decided not to do it, but in general no I haven’t ever pulled out of something. There was one television show I remember, I’m not going to say what it is, but after the first readthrough, I did call my agent and asked, “can I get out of this?” And then he quickly got back to me and said, “don’t do it. Don’t build a reputation built on disloyalty.” So I try not to.

[cut]

Q18: I think you are very handsome, but your character Francis hated the way he looked, how did that make you feel?

R: Francis hated the way he looked? Yeah. I guess there is something we relate to in that. Without getting too personal, I don’t always enjoy looking at myself in the mirror. I don’t do it very often, to be honest. I do it just to be sure I don’t have food on my face. I do it in character, actually. I do spend a bit of time studying my own face when I’m playing a character, which is interesting because your face does change. (source)

He cannot see the handsomeness: “I think I am odd-looking. I have big lines on my forehead.” I squint, looking for them, but he is talking over me, sounding slightly panicked. “I shouldn’t draw attention to it, because then everyone else will see the oddness.”

[cut]

Laziness is what makes him angry: “Laziness in myself. Laziness in other people. And dishonesty. All things I feel capable of myself. I have a propensity to be lazy and lie about it. Fear makes me rageful. There are words in The Crucible I actually find it quite hard to say.” I beg for an example — The Crucible is in the public domain. “No,” he says, “you’ll see it in the play.” I tell him it will make no sense in print if he will not tell me. But he won’t. So I change the subject. It works. “OK, I will give you a line.” He inflates a little and says: “Is there no good penitence but it be public?” And then: “Were I stone I would have cracked for shame this seven month.” (source)

Q: How would you describe your evolution as an actor since you started?

A: I think everything has to do with the fact that today I’m not afraid anymore. At first, I was embarrassed to do something wrong or do things badly or make myself ridiculous. Today, I am almost looking for opportunities to be ridiculous or vulnerable or to make as much of a mistake as possible. In a sense, it’s now the opposite of being undercover.

Q: Are you the actor you dreamed of being when you started?

A: Not yet. I am not yet fearless enough. It’s in waves, actually. But I have already approached this dream. There were moments, especially during Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which I performed on stage, where I felt I had no control over things. That’s what I’m looking for: to lose control.

Q: You often play bad guys. What do you like in these characters?

A: I like disobedience. I like the fact that you can be disobedient thanks to your creativity. As a person, I must always be polite in life, be careful and correct so as not to hurt anyone. In a fantasy world, I can be as offensive as I want. It’s an outlet. (Laughter)

[cut]

Q: Many actors are moving to directing. Is this also your goal?

A: I would like to, but I do not think I’m smart enough. I am good when it comes to working with another’s vision. I do not think I have that creative spontaneity that creates a vision from scratch. But the future will tell. (source)

I applaud Richard for being so open and direct about his fears and insecurities. It takes a lot of bravery to do so. And while I've seen some fans get annoyed with his continual self-deprecation, I think his honesty and openness is much more significant, and shows his inner strength. He doesn't try to pretend to be someone he's not.

He recently described himself as “patient, obsessive, and silly” (source). The patient part is classic Virgo, and the obsessive part comes from an element of his natal chart that I have not mentioned.

The silly part, however, is classic Leo. Like I said above, he has an almost equal amount of Leo and Virgo in his personality. Personally, I'm proud to be a Leo, but I also know we get misunderstood a lot of the time. I wrote the following for an essay of mine on Leos in Disney:

Your sun sign represents your core identity. Just like the physical sun is the center of the solar system and its energy creates life, the astrological sun is our consciousness and life force. Each of the twelve sun signs are ruled by a different planet and element.

Since Leo is the fixed fire sign, we don't inherit the reckless and impulsive nature of fire, but instead are a steady flame. No sign is more reckless and impulsive than Aries, because they have the double combination of being a cardinal sign and a fire sign. Meanwhile, all four of the fixed signs struggle with stubbornness and admitting when their wrong.

Leo's are well known to be natural leaders and the rulers of the zodiac. We are ruled by the sun and our animal is the lion. We dream big and are born with big personalities, and we can't help but be theatrical and dramatic. This means we are always self-centered in the sense of being strong-willed and having a strong sense of self. It does not mean all Leos are egotistical.

Unhealthy Leo traits all revolve around the ego: attention-seeking, egotistical, selfish, bossy, controlling, pushy, jealous, possessive, lazy, vain, arrogant, aggressive, and obstinate.

Healthy Leos, however, are known for our fire-based traits – being animated, theatrical, happy, outgoing, independent, competitive, charismatic, creative, open-minded, open-hearted, confident, assertive, playful, warm, social, courageous, idealistic, affectionate, romantic, optimistic, and adventurous.

What isn't often talked about is our steadiness, our fixed-based traits. Leos are authentic, steadfast, fiercely loyal and protective, consistent, persistent, full-hearted, dedicated, need to do their best, generous and selfless, honorable and moral, genuine and direct, extremely supportive, hard-working and responsible, dignified, strong-willed, and ambitious and determined.

Something that is often mentioned but highly misunderstood is our trait of courage. Having courage doesn't mean you're fearless or reckless. The definition of courage is “the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc.” It means that instead of running away from our problems or denying our emotions; healthy Leos face them and be genuine and direct with ourselves, embracing our vulnerability.

Having a big personality doesn't necessarily mean someone has a big ego. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” Leos have huge hearts and are incredibly generous. The sun never goes retrograde, always shines, and gives life and energy to all living beings – it isn't selective or discriminatory. Healthy Leos are like mini suns; which is why we are also irrepressibly upbeat, optimistic, and fun-loving.

We're not pushovers. We are like roses – we have both flower petals and thorns. If you mess with someone we love you're going down. We're too loyal and protective to let major things slide; and even if we forgive, we never forget. Little things? We'll try to work them out with you.

Being naturally strong-willed and assertive is healthy – it just means we usually make horrible subordinates and yes people. There's nothing wrong with having high standards and being open about them. In fact, in relationships it's far better in the long run to open and frank about what you need and what you consider a dealbreaker from the beginning.

And oh yes are we ambitious and competitive – but most often with ourselves. We're natural leaders who always dream and think big. For a healthy Leo it's not about being the best, but doing your best. We have to be grand and intense, we're ruled by the sun. It's all or nothing for us. Settling is not something a Leo does. We need to be the best leader, the best friend, the best partner, etc. that we possibly can.

Also, in astrology each sign rules a different body part, and Leo rules the heart and upper back.

Adding to this, Leos are known as the Kings/Queens of the zodiac not because we're egotistical, but because our sun sign is the sun. It's like a double amount sun. I could go into significantly more detail about this, but it involves a lot of technical astrological details; so if anyone wants to know more just message me!

Going back to Richard, having his core self (sun) and love/beauty (venus) in Leo explains why he is an actor and artist; and why he is often warm, silly, and dramatic when he feels comfortable – his long interview with The Anglophile Channel (and it's deleted scenes) does a great job of showing the synergy between his Leo and Virgo sides.

We see Richard express the heartfelt, generous, sincere, and honorable side of Leo all the time. This is why I'm sure he has the inner-confidence and strength hidden within him to overcome the deep pain his Chiron causes him (like it does to us all). I hope he continues to find projects and people that help him on his journey to heal.

Thank you for reading this, I'm wishing him and you all the best. Take care!

#Richard #Richard Armitage #Astrology #Mine

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45paperplates · 3 years

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About Olivia Rodrigo

It is a sign of a deep lack of self-esteem in our American monoculture that when Olivia Rodrigo so recently became the biggest pop musician of the moment most writers tasked to interpret said phenomenon were by default so cynical about the music they live to represent to the world that they seemed totally unaware of the most obvious explanation, one so obvious that it's almost childishly democratic: that she is simply the most naturally compelling new artist working in pop today.

Instead, they have cited elements of the music that are actually quite detrimental to its quality. Most pop-punk was weak, whiny, and obnoxiously self-involved when it was popular, and the fact that one of Olivia’s songs (“good 4 u”) sounds an awful lot like the good stuff (“Misery Business”) is indeed a sign of creative bankruptcy. That the album often sounds so much like Lorde, Taylor Swift, or Billie Eilish is only evidence of the pop machine’s greed-driven need for familiarity and the moments where these influences are truly overwhelming are the album’s least original and most incongruous. The truly teenage moments, despite their popularity with millennials and real teenagers alike, are out of touch and uninspired. I am a thirty-two year old man who also cannot parallel park, but I will never be able to relate to this kind of quirkiness in song if the singer is a rich teenager who claims in interviews that she pays for valet parking in order to avoid it.

Her relationship with Taylor Swift, whose influence is indeed all over every song on the album, seems destined to be tense, and Olivia performs best when her own creativity manages to escape it. “favorite crime” is essentially a Taylor Swift album track, imitative of Swift’s least incisive creative tendencies. “And I watched as you fled the scene / Doe-eyed as you buried me / One heart broke, four hands bloody,” writes Olivia, in the kind of mildly clever figurative imagery that makes the listener’s brain work to uncover a meaning that was already obvious, the kind of line Taylor writes in her weakest moments. The song’s apparent antecedent, “Victim,” performed live on Instagram in June of 2020, doesn’t sound like Taylor at all:

Let me be the victim of your perfect crime Bathe in my blood so I’m not the bad guy Yeah, I messed up so that you’ll mess up too I really want the blame to be on you So drive the knife in deep Make the victim bleed

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“Make the victim bleed.” It’s both unpretentiously direct and painfully deep. The imagery is vibrant and even specific enough to evoke centuries of high Catholic masochism without being at all complicated. Olivia’s best lyrics are indeed never detailed for their own sake, but calmly symbolic, referential of cultural archetypes, serving in the makeup of some more abstracted, weightier conceptual design.

Guilt, particularly of the religious kind, would seem to be her true creative center, a counterintuitive thought, given that so many of her songs officially released are so especially accusatory, to an empowering extent. But she always admits her doubt: “'Cause let’s be honest, we kinda do sound the same / Another actress / I hate to think that I was just your type�� she says of her ex’s new girlfriend. Indeed every song on the album that is explicitly about heartbreak goes out of its way to acquit the criminal in one way or another, either implicitly or directly, describing situations that are as emotionally painful as they are understandable from both sides.

She knows, in other words, that her anger at the boy is both valid and unjustified, that her sadness is real but not at all unique. Her pain transcends by its lack of an honest target, and this is what makes her music relatable to all ages. Without quite saying it, through a contradictory combination of dedicated vulnerability and self-awareness she asks the universe--or God even--rather than the boy, why did this happen? Why does this happen and is it my fault? "Did I do something wrong?"

More than anywhere else, you can hear it in her voice. Though lots of different things can get in the way, this transcendent guilt sits in her voice as a sustained emotional power, shifting between a dull pain somewhere deep in her chest and a lump in her throat, lending sincere force and tragic significance to subject matter that most have interpreted as specifically teenaged and delightfully naive. Bruce Springsteen famously said that the first time he heard “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan’s voice “sounded somehow simultaneously young and adult.” This is the kind of compliment disallowed to teenage girls by the use of the “you’re mature for your age” trope by predatory old men, which is a shame, because if anyone deserves to be called mature it's a teenager who takes guilt seriously before they’ve really had a chance to even do anything wrong.

Maybe she has had her marvelously unanimous success because this pained emotional high is heavily tempered on SOUR, particularly in its singles, two of which drown it out in the bridge (“drivers license”, “deja vu”), and the third of which filters it through talk-singing and distorted yelling (“good 4 u”). Maybe this is why she switched out “Victim,” a song where she sings of her “guilty Catholic heart,” and pleads “make the victim me,” for “favorite crime.” It does seem almost too heavy for American pop, and maybe a little dab of it is all the industry’s recipe requires because America doesn’t know how to process a mature teenage girl in a healthy way. But it is the passion at the source of her talent and, although her album is not at all perfect, shines through like the burning sun at every opportunity.

#olivia rodrigo #sour #pop music #catholic guilt #catholicism #bob dylan #taylor swift #lorde #billie eilish #bruce springsteen #hsmtmts #the rose song

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allegra-writes · 5 years

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Peter Parker NSFW Alphabet

Hi! Could I please please please get a cute and a NSFW alphabet with Peter? Thanks!💕

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He’s the most tender and thoughtful of lovers. He just loves to lay in bed with you in his arms for hours, just holding you close, and caressing your back or your arms or any part of your body he can reach, really. He could spend entire days and nights like that, just laying next to your naked form, tangling his finger with yours and talking. His pillow talk is the most interesting too, he can talk about everything from quantum physics and the intricacies of how gravity bends space-time to how Brussel’s sprouts are just basically fun sized cabbages.

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He’s not one for vanity and he actually kinda doesn’t like how bulky he’s gotten since that spider bite years ago. But he likes that he it made him strong. He likes being strong to protect you, and even to help you with domestic, ordinary things, like moving your couch up four flight of stairs to your dorm room. And of course, he loves being strong enough be able to carry you and hold you up with just one arm without any effort, to fuck you standing up without needing a wall for support.

His favorite body part of yours are your legs and where they lead: he loves your feet, your calves, your strong thighs, your gorgeous butt and… well, you can guess. He loves having those legs around him, either while he pounds into you, or while he carries you swinging on his webs across New York, or making out with you sitting on the kitchen counter while he stands between them. He just loves how he fits perfectly there, like that’s where he belongs.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

He loves to mark you, he loves physical manifestations of you being his. But he hates to hurt you, and he refuses to leave lasting marks like hickeys -that, admittedly, are pretty painful because of his super strength- and bruises on purpose, that’s just out of question for him.

So, the alternative he so creatively found, is to mark you with his come. He still loves to come inside you, but pulling out just in time and paint your chest, your belly or your butt in white ribbons just drives him crazy

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He has heightened senses, and his sense of smell is no exception. He has an unconfirmed theory that he can perceive pheromones, at least on some level. Specifically, human pheromones. More specifically, yours.

He thinks that because your perfume drives him insane. Not like the bottled perfume you use when you guys go on dates, but your natural scent. It smells like home. It smells like mate.

It’s just so animalistic, so feral that he would never tell you, but sometimes, when you are away, he buries his face on your pillow or your clothes, and gets himself off like that, solely on the smell of you.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

While he is not underage, thank you very much, he is young. So he’s had some experience but not a lot.

However, he is a fast learner, and pleasuring you is a fascinating subject for him. He painstakingly catalogs and commits your reactions to memory, and quickly becomes an expert on you and what you like.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

As mentioned before, he loves having you wrapped around him, so the lotus, missionary, standing up or up against a wall, anything with a lot of skin on skin contact.

Positions like doggy style, the necklace of Venus, etc, just don’t feel close enough. He wants intimacy, he wants to look at you in the eyes when he makes you fall apart, he wants to bury himself deep into you, he wants as much of you as he can get.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Not as much goofy as he is playful; he likes to make you smile and he likes to have fun in bed, but it’s sex, it’s not stand up comedy.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He shaved everything off once. It was itchy and miserable and he’s NOT doing that again. Like, ever.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Peter Parker wears his heart on his sleeve. The bedroom is not exception. What he feels for you is deep, it’s fiery, it’s all consuming, and it translates into meaningful, intense sex. Even when he fucks you roughly it still is making love, because he loves you and he just can’t hide it or turn it off. Not that you would want him to, anyway.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

His sex drive is quite high, so he masturbates a couple times a day if you are not near or simply not in the mood.

K= Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Don’t let those big brown innocent eyes fool you, he is a kinky bastard.

In real life he respects -and actually loves- your independence, and how powerful and empowered you are. But in bed, his possessive streak is released. He loves to dominate you, call you his own, make you beg. More than once he webbed your hands to the headboard, or tied you up in beautiful, intricate kinbaku or shibari designs using his web.

He also has a huge praise kink, always telling you how beautiful you are, how good you are, how perfect for him. He calls you his Queen. And it goes both ways, because he is such a sucker for you telling him how great he is, how good he feels. It’s not exactly dirty talk, but it’s hot non the less.

L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)

While any place he can get you alone is good enough for a hot make out session, for the actual sex he prefers the bedroom. Or anywhere in your apartment, as long as he can be sure you two are alone and not likely to get interrupted. He’s NOT into exhibitionism or public sex, he can’t stand the risk of someone walking in and accidentally see you like this. He respects you too much for that.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

You are his biggest turn on. Your body, the way you move, the helpless little moans you make when he hits that spot… yeah, he doesn’t need anything else to get him going.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He won’t ever endanger you or hurt you in anyway. He could never stand to cause you pain. So nothing like breath play, or spanking, etc. Even when he plays with ropes (or webs), he’s always making sure you are ok. Your safety is the most important thing for him.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He is a giver, his greatest pride is to make you fall apart. Add to that the way the taste of you drives him wild and, well… He could -and have- spend hours between your legs.

He is not as much into receiving it because he’s afraid of loosing control and hurt you by pounding into your mouth too roughly (sometimes having super strength can have disadvantages), but you will convince him of indulging in it every once in a while.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He can be both, it truly just depends on his mood at the moment.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He is more of a fan of long marathon sex sessions, he likes to be able to take his time and have his way with you as he pleases. But you both are busy individuals and sometimes, when you have been separated by long periods of time (Like, a week. Hey, it’s a long time for him!), His aching for you get to be too much, and he’ll take you anyway he can. At those times is urgent, and passionate, and frenzied and just so hot!

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

He’s curious, definitely would try anything once, as long as it’s safe for you of course.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

There’s a reason he likes marathon sex, he has the stamina to go for hours, maybe even days. Anything shorter can appease him but won’t fully satiate his hunger for you.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He’s extremely creative and good at using everyday objects as toys. In his talented hands, an electric toothbrush or a snake venom extractor can become the perfect tool for the most exquisite torture.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He likes to tease you to the point of it being almost unbearable, until you are a moaning, begging mess. Then and only then will he give in to you. And to his own need, because the truth is he wants you just as badly and desperately, he just has slightly better control.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Peter is a very expressive guy, and it’s no different in bed. He makes the hottest (and horniest) faces during sex, and yes, the hottest sounds too. Starting with little moans and growls at the beginning, as his pleasure increases so does his volume. He can get very loud when he comes, and you always can tell when he is close because he swears a lot.

You love it, because it makes it so easy to know when he likes something, and makes you feel so powerful, even in your more submissive roll, to know it’s you the one that’s making him feel so good, the one he wants so badly that it almost physically hurts.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He is a great photographer, he has an aesthetic Instagram he is quite proud of. But by far his best work, at least according to him, is the huge collection of pictures he has of you.

Always analogic, he takes the time to develop the film himself, at home. And not just because of his love of old school photography, but because even if most of them are artistic close ups and compositions, some of them are just filthy and unadulterated porn. And in all of them you are very clearly naked.

And he’s a smart guy, he knows just how easily a device or system can be hacked, so there is no way he is taking any chances of exposing you like that by being dumb enough to have any image of you in digital format. No, that’s a show for his eyes only.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

The spider bite that gave him those drool worthy biceps and lickable abs, gave him… other… mouthwatering… assets. Impressive assets.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

To misquote Dr. Banner, that’s Peter’s secret: He always wants you.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He’s highly energetic so it takes a lot to wear him out. And I mean a lot. But afterwards, he has the most restful sleep, secure in the knowledge that the most important thing in the world to him, is protected and sleeping in his arms.

#peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker imagines #peter parker smut #peter parker x reader smut #peter parker hot #tom holland hot #tom holland imagine

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weebslawyer · 4 years

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Kei

@lancermylove

Sun- Virgo

The sixth sign of the zodiac is Virgo, to be exact, and that's just how they like it: exacting. People born under their sign are constantly the butt of jokes for being critical and picky, but their attention to detail is all because they want to help others. Virgos were born to serve and doing so brings them great pleasure. Their sense of duty is all for the greater good. Because of the Virgo's adept analysis of details, most of the people born under this sign are very neat and clean. The symbol of Virgo of is the Virgin, but this should not be taken literally. Virgos take qualities of the Virgin, as in humanity and modesty. Some may think they are repressed, but Virgos view it as a noble quality. They love to explore logical and practical ideas. They are great in the workplace because they will notice every detail, getting projects done the first time, every time. Mercury rules this sign, and like in Roman mythology, Mercury was not stagnant. This god was full of energy, both mentally and physically, and that is true to the Virgin as well. A Virgo's brain will be in overdrive most of the time, which is why they are so productive. As Mercury also rules communication, this sign is very good at communicating and using their mental acuity to its best. Because of all of this brainpower, however, Virgos may over-think and be sketpical of situations. The element of this sign is earth, so Virgos are more grounded and earthy compared to other signs. Virgos will analyze people deeply, noticing every detail about their partner. This is because Virgos can be incredibly hard on themselves - it is important that they learn to cut others more slack. There is also a childlike innocence about Virgos - no matter how wild they act, there is always a bit of old-fashioned romance within them. They expect their mates to be clean, respectful, loyal, and intelligent.

Moon- Gemini

Most importantly, though, this sign gains emotional fulfillment when they feel intellectually stimulated. In order to stay excited, Gemini Moons tend to socialize with others, search for interesting information, and communicate their ideas. People with this placement in their charts tend to be good conversationalists. As a flighty air sign, Gemini Moons may prefer to talk about their feelings rather than actually experience them. They like to keep things on the positive side, staying versatile and adventurous in the emotional plane. With the Twins being the symbol of Gemini, Gemini Moons are also constantly looking for a partner who complements their own personality. In a relationship, Gemini Moons need someone who can intellectually stimulate them and hold an interesting conversation. They crave freedom, communication, and new ideas. Some Gemini Moons may even have a talent for numbers, speech, or writing, as language is a strong suit of theirs. Because Gemini Moons are so versatile, it may be hard for this sign to make decisions. They can be a bit scatterbrained, as they tend to process a lot of information constantly. This moon sign may also be a bit moody at times, as their adaptability manifests into easily changeable moods. They may come off as detached, for they prefer to analyze their emotions rather than truly “feel” them. Overall, this sign can be quite restless and distracted, and their love of information may make them prone to gossip.

Rising- Sagittarius

An ascending Sagittarius is haunted all his life by long roads and exotic countries, in which he dreams to visit. He wants to know everything, as well as visit all places in the world and conquer outer space. Narcissistic and impetuous man who knows how to seduce women. Witty and sociable type, which, if in love, he decides to completely "redraw" his mind. But only if the woman is ready to share with him the delights of life. A passionate and shrewd man who loves to travel and gain knowledge. He likes everything that captures the spirit, and his dullness and routine make him anxious and drive him into depression. If the partner does not tell him how to live and change to his own character, he will go with her to the edge of the earth, holding his hand tight and securely.

Lilith- Leo

When The Black Moon is placed in Leo an air or royalty will be embody the thinking. One will carry a sense of entitlement and have belief that things should be given and handed to them because of their self perceived kingly status. The royal lifestyle will make Lilith in Leo desire all of the luxuries life has to offer. One can spend money on things that far outclass the means they can afford in their financial situation. Much passion and courage will be shown to stand up to circumstances that work to interfere with one’s values. The Black Moon Lilith specifically can be one to stand up and be protective of those it loves such as romantic partners, children or loyal followers. Strong responses can occur to defend these loved ones and revenge can be taken upon anyone that threatens their safety and wellness. Lilith in an astrology chart can be noted as attracting a particular person whom embodies the traits of the sign Lilith is in. This type of person whom is attracted can play a major role or even been a strong adversary within the lifetime. When Lilith is in Leo a significant person involved in life can be bright, full of life, enthusiastic and fun loving in their demeanor. They will be charismatic, magnetic, inspiring, courageous and quite dignified. The significant person can be quite loving, romantic, passionate, demonstrative and dramatic in the character. Loyalty will be important to them and they can be quite protective too. The negative side of Leo can show in their character making them egotistical, stubborn, arrogant, bossy and very self involved. A major enemy one attracts can be strong and come from a position of high power and authority. This adversary can be very social, have the respect of many and hold power in the public spotlight. The opponent one attracts can have the support of followers because of a charismatic nature and strong leadership skills that draws people in. The Black Moon in the sign of Leo often can feel a sense of dread relating to love relationships one is involved in. There may be a fear of losing a loved one and having a romantic relationship fall apart. Since loyalty is very important to the sign can have a deep fear of losing any kind of loyalty. Lilith in a horoscope holds power over things that are kept private that are not wanting to be exposed openly. Romantic relationships or sexual encounters during the life can be kept private from being known to the public. The Black Moon in Leo may also want to keep luxurious lifestyle choices from coming out into the open. Sex appeal will carry much pride and tie in greatly to the ego. Being found sexually attractive to a partner is very important for boasting the confidence and ego of Lilith. Even when single Lilith in Leo can want to capture suitors through sex appeal to boost the ego. The Black Moon in this fire sign can be very expressive in dramatic ways sexually to accomplish this. Lilith will display a very self expressive creative nature in order to capture the attention of a perspective partner in the beginning. This can manifest in such behaviors as dressing provocative, sending nudes, striping and being the initiator that comes on strong to attain the interest of someone. Even when engaged with a partner, Lilith here may dress up erotically or enjoy playfully teasing to arouse the partner.

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ad-write-it · 3 years

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FanFiction:

Laughable or Legitimate?

For anyone who’s spent more than 15 minutes at a time on the internet, the concept and practice of fanfiction is all too familiar. And, depending entirely upon prior experience, the assumptions that word summons can be vastly different. Some view fanfiction as nothing more than pathetic self-insert smut for the perverse satisfaction of lonely teens and incredibly disturbed adults, while others view it as an introductory exercise in creative writing with the generous boost of being handed preexisting characters and an already established world. Both of these assumptions have strong arguments behind them, but first I feel like I need to define by what I’ll be referring to when I use the term ‘fanfiction.’

Fanfiction is, by commonly accepted definition, written content directly based on an established work of fiction. Fanmade animations, animatics, art, short films and songs do not qualify as fanfiction through this definition, despite being functionally identical. Fanfiction is explicitly limited to the writing, occasionally also being represented through readings, an on even rarer instanes being portrayed through audio dramas (a critically underrated medium, though that’s a topic for another time).

With that established, let’s dive into addressing the negative connotations that the term ‘fanfiction’ brings up in a lot of people’s minds.

Starting with the mindlessly lewd (is there any other kind?) content that is pushed out by the metric ton online. No matter how vehemently you defend fanfiction, there is absolutely no denying how oversaturated the medium is with the perverse imitation of romance. Though a minute number of ‘adult’ works can and have been written as a joke to varying degrees of success, an overwhelming majority are disturbingly unironic. If two or more characters have shared as much as a glance, for some psychological reason that probably hints at a cry for help more than anything, the hormonal teenagers and touch-starved adults of the internet will put them in bed together. Sometimes all it takes is for two characters from completely separate multiverses to glint across the same computer screen and people will attempt to combine them sexually as quickly and as passionately as possible.

However, it is a fallacy to blame this phenomenon primarily on fanfiction. Appealing to the lowest common denominator of human nature is unfortunately a staple of the romance genre in general, and is such an infectious practice that you’ll find examples of it in every nation that has produced a large amount of fiction. Sexualization in general is heavily linked to this practice, and is part of why I heavily and vehemently advocate for minimum sexualization of any character regardless of gender. Combine that with the freedom to mash two characters from separate IPs together in the same story, and is it any wonder that we end up with so many bizarre and disturbing fanfictions?

Another commonly raised criticism against fanfiction is the low quality of writing, which is one I myself have raised a lot and have had leveled against me. For good reason, because once again the vast majority of fanfictions are written by the same generations that decided Harry Potter was the peak of cinema. Needless to say most stories’ grasp on the English language, proper story structure, objective writing quality, prose and human dialogue is about as firm as the soil in a swamp. And, just as in the previous example, this is not something limited to fanfiction. Anyone who has spent any amount of time reading more than 5 books (or has watched more than 2 movies) will know that the problem of poor grammar and talentless attempts at constructing anything resembling a coherent narrative is something that plagues the writing industry. I won’t throw stones from glass houses either; a lot of my previous and current attempts at writing are disgusting to read, and I imagine I’ve made several punctuation errors in this post alone. But my point still stands, and I hold myself to the exact same standards I hold others to. Bad writing is bad writing, and it has nothing to do with genre or medium. It is entirely dependant upon the skill, drive and passion of the writer.

Something that should also be taken into account is that fanfiction is most often written by inexperienced and/or young authors. That is not to say that criticism against fanfictions are immediately rendered invalid because of this, which they aren’t, my sole reason in pointing that out is to temper the expectations acordingly. These aren’t aspiring young adults fresh out of college with an English major, these are kids and adults that do it for fun. Constructive criticism can and should be offered, but only if it’s genuinely constructive and tailored to its intended purpose. Take as much care in crafting your criticism as you expect them to put into crafting their stories.

The one drawback I feel is inherent to fanfiction is that a large portion of it relies upon you being at least casually familiar with the source material it’s based off of. A lot of the times it will contain references to events that people outside a specific fanbase will not know about, or it will be laced with in-jokes and labelled a comedy where to an outsider it’s only a passable slice of life. This is one of the primary reasons I ceased writing fanfiction, since I feel it inherently limits your growth once you reach a high enough skill level. At some point you have to branch out and attempt to define your own characters and worlds, expanding into writing your own original tales.

In conclusion, fanfiction is no worse or better than any other writing medium. It fosters the same amount of creativity and talent as anything else, as well as falls victim to the same number of shortcomings and human errors. It’s great for writers new and old to experiment with characters and worlds they know, while at the same time enabling the worst of the worst when it comes to smut and incoherent stories. I’ve read phenomenally moving fanfictions as much as I’ve seen the English language be grotesquely mutilated in officially published books, and vice versa.

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simlishfish · 4 years

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Nine muses legacy challenge

Do you like Greek mythology? Do you want to explore different aspects of the game you've never yet played with? Even if you don't I have the perfect challenge for you!

I proudly present to you the nine muses legacy challenge, a nine generation legacy (duh..) based (very loosely) on the myth of the nine muses, deities and daughters of Zeus from Greek mythology.

Basic Rules:

1. cheats are allowed, basically just play however you want to whilst entertaining the rules of each generation

2. you may live in whichever world, and which ever property or would like, provided it is not otherwise stated for that specific generation.

3. you must complete the goals of the current generation, before moving on to play with the next generation.

4. play with the lifespan on normal.

5. You can name the sims after the generations (these are the names of the original 9 muses) however this is optional

6. go ahead and use #nmlegacy if you play this challenge because I really would love to see you play this or even just create the characters in CAS

Generation 1: Clio

Your sim has always been a huge history buff and has always loved the idea of a big family to share their passion with. They have always been good at anything they tried, but most of all value relationships with friends and family. Your sim tries to live their life as much as possible trying to learn as many skills, and meet as many new people as possible on the way.

Traits: bookworm, ambitious, family oriented

Aspiration: successful lineage

Career: freelancer writer

rules:

· complete successful lineage aspiration

· master writing, mixology and one more skill of your choice (the last must be archeology skill if you have jungle adventure)

· complete a postcards collection

· have at least 3 children with at least 2 different baby daddys/mammas

· adopt at least 1 pet (optional for cats and dogs)

Generation 2: Euterpe

Your sim was raised in a hectic and busy household where much was unclear for them. the only thing they knew for sure was that they loved music. They don't really know what they want, but they hate the commitment of a job, same applies to people. They kind of a loner and spent most of their childhood alone in their room.

Traits: lazy, loves outdoors, noncommital

Aspiration: musical genius

Career: none

rules:

· complete musical genius aspiration

· master violin, piano and handiness skills

· achieve lvl. 8 in gardening skill

· enter the secret lot in oasis springs

· have your sim's partner be a loner sim and never get married

· have 1 child

Generation 3: Thalia

Your sim has always loved comedy and being the centre of attention but never really connected with their parents. Apart from being a dedicated comedian, your sim has a side hustle of shoplifting and swiping items, determined to escape their poor childhood. Although they never mean any harm, their rash behaviour always seems to land them in a lot of trouble, chasing their dream of living in a nice big house with a perfect family and a white picket fence.

Traits: cheerful, kleptomaniac, good

Aspiration: mansion baron

Career: entertainer + buisiness

rules:

· complete mansion baron aspiration

· master both entertainer and buisiness career

· master charisma skill

· move to an empty 50 x 50 lot in a new world

· marry a co-worker

· have at least 1 child

Generation 4: Melpomene

The opposite to their parents, this sim has never really seen the point in comedy. They have tended to trust in logic rather than emotion and have never been truly happy. They are always following others and has pursued a career as an athlete, as it seems this is their natural 'talent' even though it is not something they particularly enjoy. At least they feel they are doing something productive.

Traits: gloomy, active, neat

Aspiration: body builder

Career: athlete

rules:

· complete body builder aspiration

· master athlete career

· master fitness, logic and programming skill

· get divorced and later remarried to the same sim

· complete an element and a crystal collection

· have at least 2 children

Generation 5: Terpsichore

Your sim had everything they wanted as a child and the household they grew up in was good and respectable, but they have been longing for something a little more exciting. As they enter their teen years the begin to discover them self on a deeper level and basically spend all of their time dancing and partying. This doesn't stop as they grow old. Your sim is a social butterfly who must have as many friends as possible and throw the best parties!

Traits: outgoing, erratic, dance machine (if you don't have get together, like me, use the hot-headed trait)

Aspiration: party animal

Career: style influencer

rules:

· complete party animal aspiration

· master style influencer career

· master charisma skill

· achieve lvl.8 in 5 other skills

· leave someone at the alter during a wedding

· achieve a gold medal in every base game party type

· have at least 3 children, all with different baby daddys/mammas

Generation 6: Erato

Like their parents, this sim has never appreciated structure or authority. They are in love with the idea of love, and wants to be able to gather intel, er i mean date lots of different people. This sim loves being evil, wait, I mean playful towards other sims, and uses their alluring nature to get want ever they want.

Traits: romantic, evil, creative

Aspiration: serial romantic

Career: criminal

rules:

· complete serial romantic aspiration

· master criminal career

· master mischief, painting and charisma skill

· paint at least 10 masterpieces

· get married as a young adult to a richer, older sim

· murder spouse

· have at least 3 enemies

· have at least 1 child

Generation 7: Polymnia

As a child, this sim was surrounded by paintings and creativity and this really rubbed off on them. They are very career focused and want to be the most sucessful author in the world, and want everyone to know their name. Their tendency to obsess and overthink things made it difficult for them to find love but they got there eventually.

Traits: perfectionist, book worm, materialistic

Aspiration: Best selling author

Career: writer

rules:

· complete best selling author aspiration

· master writer career

· master writing skill

· complete a mysims trophies collection

· get married as an elder

· have at least 1 child

Generation 8: Ourania

Their parents uptight tendencies never really resonated with this sim. They're more of a free spirit who would rather explore, be it the laws of science or the beauties of nature. Curiosity is what drives this sim and all they really want is a simple existence where they can learn and discover for themselves what life is all about.

Traits: loves outdoors, genius, cheerful

Aspiration: nerd brain

Career:

rules:

· complete aspiration

· master career

· master rocket science, gardening and handiness skill

· complete a space prints and space rocks collection

· build a rocket and go to space

· move on to a 20 x 30 lot

· have at least 2 children

Generation 9: Calliope

This sim has had enough of their parents' hippy dippy lifestyle. They want to go big or go home. They will work hard and do whatever it takes to get them to this oh so important dream of theirs. Their sole desire? To live like a king/Queen.

Traits: snob, ambitious, self assured

Aspiration: fabulously wealthy

Career: business (Lawyer if you have discover university)

rules:

· complete fabulously wealthy aspiration

· master business (Lawyer if you have discover university) career

· display at least 15 self made paintings in home

· move on to a 50 x 50 lot

· marry snob sim

· master painting, guitar and (optional for jungle adventure selvadoradian culture) skill

A (very) brief history of the muses (the inspiration)

The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology were deities that gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation.

According to the Greek Myths, God Zeus bewildered the young woman Mnemosyne and slept with her for nine consecutive nights. The result of their encounter was the Nine Muses, who were similar to everything.

Μnemosyne gave the babies to Nymph Eufime and God Apollo. When they grew up they showed their tendency to the arts, taught by God Apollo himself.

#ninemuseslegacychallenge nmlegacy ts4legacy ts4challenge

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stacijya · 4 years

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K personality break down!

I spent way too much time on this but here we go! (am willing to do other idols as well)

K has such a strong personality. To me its a beautiful thing. I think he is passionate, kind, hard working, and exudes natural confidence that I find very magnetic. However, I can see how some people may misunderstand that. So, in response to some “fans” who seem to not understand this beautiful creature for all his complexity and nuances, and armed with the information available on his profile, have researched and put together a breakdown of the facets of his personality.

(disclaimer, I cannot pretend to know K on a personal level. I used parts of articles and descriptions that I thought best described his interactions within ILAND and that could be supported by i-cam footage or clips from the actual show.)

Zodiac: Ox (1997)

Much like the image of an Ox, people born in this year tend to be persistent, honest, and straightforward. They are “talent leaders with strong faith, and strong devotion to work. They are contemplative before taking actions, not easily affected by the surroundings but just follow their concept and ability.” (travelchinaguide.com)

This is most likely where K gets the image of being arrogant or stubborn. While this might be the undercurrent, I think the other facets of his personality are more often highlighted. Mind you Jungkook, Jaehyun, Cha Eunwoo, Mingyu, and Yugyeom are all Ox’s as well. These people hardly strike me as arrogant now, though I can see their stubborness and devotion (all positive ways).

Blood Type: A

K, according to his profile, is blood type A which is often described as sensitive, passionate, clever, loyal, calm, consistent, and perfectionist. However type A’s can also be stubborn and overly sensitive. Generally, type A’s are stoic, majestic and confident, three qualities that can often be misinterpreted as intimidating or rude when in actuality they are very sensitive and caring as well.

Star Sign: Libra-Scorpio cusp

Libras are known for their flirtatious magnetism while scorpios are known for passion and power. This article sums it up pretty perfectly so I’ll just post a screenshot:

Libra-scorpio cusps are also known for their fierce loyalty to friends and family. They would willingly sacrifice themselves for their people. They are a combo of water and air which means they blend together the free spirited nature of an air sign with the calm and honest nature of a water sign. Sometimes their honesty can get away from them however and they have to take care not to hurt anyone with their words.

MBTI: ENFP

K is an ENFP, also known as the Campaigner or the Creative Idealist. They move through the world in a way that draws natural attention. They have a wonderful knack for dividing work from play. They are driven idealists while working but passionate free spirits in their down time.

Function stacks: extroverted intuition, introverted feeling, extroverted thinking, and introverted sensing. (Look up cognitive functions and function stacks if you need more context). This is also known as NeFi types which prioritize extroverted intuition and introverted feeling.

ENFPs are passionate, motivating, and versatile. Their primary function is extroverted intuition which means they pull meaning and draw connections out of the social world (relationships and interactions). They then use those meanings to better understand people, their motivations, and their true intentions(Fi). ENFx’s highly value genuine and honest people who don’t have ulterior motives or forced personas. They are very open and honest and expect the same returned to them.

Also, ENFP’s are very creative, independent people who struggle to work within rigid structures and hierarchies. They hate being micromanaged and would prefer to have the time and space to do the work. Too much micromanagement can cause stress in an ENFP which often leads them to neglect their personal health and happiness. They tend to give more than others are able to reciprocate.

But above all, ENFPs are kind. They “are very emotional and sensitive, and when they step on someones toes, they both feel it.” (16 personalities). They love open communication and want to listen as well. They really believe that everyone should take the time to recognize and express their emotions.

Age Hierarchy in Japan vs Korea:

(I am not Korean or Japanese so I looked up scholarly articles to help me with this section. But, for context, I have been to both countries)

In broad terms, Korea and Japan both have a system of age hierarchy that stems from Confucianism. The general idea is that older people, or people in positions of power, are to be highly respected by the younger generation or my subordinates. However, Japan and Korea have different interpretations of this ideal.

The Japanese version is focused on “Senpai-Kohai” (student teacher) relationship. This is expressed in many contexts even outside of school. The idea is that the older generation is responsible for teaching the younger generation manners and skills. The Younger generation is expected to listen and learn all the lessons of their teacher or mentor. These roles aren’t always associated with age however. In fact, in recent years, the younger generations, especially in work places, have somewhat turned their backs on the idea that an older colleague is deserving of more honor simply because of their age. In some instances, Kohais will fake their respect for their senpais. Many companies have been forced to abandon this ideal all together, promoting and giving raises to workers who are more skilled rather than workers who are older, thus abandoning age in their hierarchy of honor.

In Korea, however, the ideals of an age hierarchy are intenched much deeper in the culture. The age hierarchy is encouraged by confucianism but enforced by language and military culture. The korean language is organized around the idea of informal and formal speech in reference to someones age. One of the first questions asked in a conversation with a new person is “what is your age?” This established the social context and solidifies they type of speech a person must use. Older people must be spoken to with formal speech unless they give express permission otherwise. This is also enforced by military culture and the concepts of hoobae (subordinate) and sunbae (older/more experienced person). These roles have specific social expectations attached to them and carry significant weight.

Citations:

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/08/404088/age-means-respect-japan-culture

http://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1293

Physical Appearance

K is physically intimidating, no denying that. He’s tall, athletically built, outwardly confident, and mature. He shows his emotions plainly on his face and takes up a lot of space with his body and energy. His presence is felt regardless of where he is in a room.

How it all works together

K is a wonderful person, but he has many aspects about his personality, culture, and appearance that can be misinterpreted as intimidating. Again, not only is he physically dominate in the space, his libra-scorpio cusp trait also make him ooze enigmatic appeal, and his ENFP fills him with passion and drive. He dislikes hierarchy yet must work within a very hierarchical system and culture. He is the oldest among people much younger than him. He’s attempting to use his NeFi personality to create open bonds with many people who are afraid to share their feelings with him. He doesn’t speak enough Korean to fully express his emotions despite that being a fundamental part of his personality.

K is enigmatic and mysterious with a combination of traits that are easily misunderstood. Every person, regardless of their personality, can grow and work through weaknesses, but, please be kind to them on their journey. We are all humans who must grow and learn as we develop and we can only hope that grace is granted to us as well. So give K grace as he learns to adapt to his surrounding, just as we gave grace to Heeseung, Jay, Niki, and all the others.

I hope fans of K appreciate him even more and I hope those who doubt him can be more understanding of his perspective. Spread love not hate!

#iland #i-land #iland k #mbti #libra-scorpio #this poor man really does have the entire world against him #hes just a soft baby who wants love... because hes a libra scorpio and would die without it #no but really I love K

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thedaveandkimmershow · 4 years

Photo

28 years married... you change a lot. Not only as a couple but as individuals. And all the things they don’t tell you about being married?

You find out all that stuff too.

It’s both wonderful...

And terrible.

And everything changes. I’m not just talking about obvious plot twists like global pandemics, shuttered economies, tear-gassing pepper-spraying fire-setting bottle-and-rock-hurling randomly-grabbing-people-off-the-streets riots, or the fact that we live in a country with a population that clearly doesn’t share a common understanding of reality.

I’m not just talking about those things because that was all this year.

But travel back with me twenty-eight years ago, when we got married, and you’ll notice right away how there were so many things that didn’t even exist. They hadn’t been invented let alone conceived of. In fact during the course of our marriage the iPod was invented and became obsolete. Replaced, essentially, by the phone in my pocket that does everything the iPod does plus... it’s also my camera. And my desktop computer, too.

A.I. also sprang to life, by the way. Artificial Intelligence somehow working its way into every day life. In ways we never imagined.

And cars started driving themselves.

Then social media. It burst into existence, fixed itself into every part of our lives, and then turned into Godzilla rampaging through downtown Tokyo setting everything on fire with his breath.

Politics looks nothing like what it was in 1992. Neither does religion, for that matter. And people, too, aren’t who they used to be.

28 years.

Time and experience have done a job on us, too. In wonderful and terrible ways.

For example, at this point in our lives, things that were once daunting and nearly impossible to navigate are simple To Do’s on our lists. We’re capable of so much more than we used to be. You can’t even imagine.

Heck. I couldn’t have imagined when we were just starting out.

The thing is... we gained these abilities — like boundaries, like advocating for ourselves — we gained these abilities, learned all these lessons, the hard way. Straight up... the hard way. For sure I would’ve preferred the easy way... but the hard way does have it’s own methodology of revealing what’s important and what’s not. What’s a priority and what’s not. What’s a right now thing... and what’s not.

So yeah. There are more things than there used to be that aren’t... what? That aren’t important. That aren’t priorities. That aren’t right now things.

Gosh. There are so many more things that aren’t our things, you know?

You do you, we’ll do us, and it’s all whatever it is. No harm, no foul.

Now I’d love to say we’ve become wise human beings over the years. Of course I would. But while it’s absolutely true that we’re packing more wisdom than the twenty-something versions of ourselves, that’s less a product of intentional inner discovery than it is a product of surviving life’s challenges and plot twists, trap doors, white water rapids, and category 5 hurricanes.

What can I say? You learn a lot getting roughed up and surviving getting roughed up. You learn a lot about how not to step on landmines and how to recover when you do step on one and it blows up.

So yeah. We’re waaaaaay more capable today than who we were back then.

28 years.

And what do we have to show for it?

Maybe some insight. A touch of understanding. Definitely a lot of experience... bumps and bruises, scars that are left over from a long time ago, bunch of photographs, tons of memories, and a few awards.

Oh yeah. And one helluva life.

For example, twenty-eight years is absolutely the best of what we imagined marriage would be. It’s also the most specifically terrible stuff that surely must’ve been concealed from us in the fine print. We didn't, after all, embark on wedded bliss inside a bubble that would actually shield us from the world. So death?

Yeah, death showed up in our lives. A bunch.

Suicide?

Yeah, suicide was there, too.

Teen suicide?

Took my breath away. It was, in fact, one of the very few times my daughter ever saw me weep openly.

So that happened.

It wasn’t all matters of life and death, of course. But there was sure stuff in there that wasn’t what we expected.

We struggled through confrontation. We weathered depression. We were assaulted by unemployment.

And money problems?

Dude.

We did that one first.

Dysfunctional relationships?

They turned up every year, near as I can tell.

Pies in the face?

Same deal.

Betrayal and abandonment and indignity?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

And other stuff, too.

Lots and lots of other stuff. Too.

But what about love? What about the big L?

Well, love’s definitely propelled us through nearly three decades. It’s certainly sustained us this long. So yeah... love breathes life.

But love also makes life harder, my friends. Meaning the more people in your life that you love, the more hostages to fortune you’re carrying. The more you bear the weight of everything that comes gunning not only for you… but for all those who are dearest to you.

And yeah. Not only have we taken it in the teeth, the people we love have taken it in the teeth. Repeatedly.

And we grieved their circumstances just as surely as we grieved our own.

We grieved all of it.

So.

Along the way I took to documenting the fun and funny in our lives. Most of it was small things, tiny things sometimes. Quick laughs, easily forgotten. Ephemeral in their own way. I took to documenting that stuff because the negative threads running through our lives so easily stained our perceptions and memories. Suicide. Unemployment. Dysfunctional relationships. There were times when these were the only things we could remember.

They colored everything black.

Seriously. The year a young friend of ours took his own life, I woulda sworn that whole year was a no good, terrible, horrible, very bad year.

Except...

It wasn't.

Because when I read over all the stuff we'd actually done that year, all the stuff that happened to us and, incidentally, all the stuff I’d forgotten…

Well, it really wasn't shrouded in darkness at all. Not every day. Heck, not even every month.

There was life in there, always. Light. Laughter. Love. Adventure. Between the cracks, sometimes, but always there.

Always there.

I wish I could tell you why that is.

Are we made this way? Are we just lucky?

No idea.

For real. No idea.

But at the very point reason abandons me, there's this, irrefutable fact. The woman I married is badass. She's funny. She's smart. She’s creative. She thinks out of the box in ways that produce answers, results, improvements... plus it’s a skill that’s seriously billable. She’s a renaissance woman. She's talented like crazy. She's beautiful in ways I couldn't imagine when we got married. She fills and fulfills my life in myriad ways. She surprises me.

Think on that for a moment. Almost three decades later…

She still surprises me.

For those of you shopping around for a future wife or husband, I would say Friendship's gonna be number one with a bullet. Badass and Funny are definitely near the top of the list. Also keep a keen eye out for Compassion, Grace, and an ability for Peace. 'Cause you will run into terrible things, the both of you. And it takes more than graduate and post-graduate degrees, sometimes, to get through a single day, or even recover from one moment.

Passion... that's another one. And not just sexual, by the way, although that does make sex way more fun. ;-) But passionate about life. Passionate about people. Passionate about the things that are important to them.

Seriously. 'Til death do us part is longer than you think when you're a twenty-something. It completely helps when you both have the ability to never be bored. And be able to engage damn near anything.

It helps when you’re both compatible in ways none of us thinks about when we think about Love. When we think about Romance. When we think about Forever.

It’s important to think about those things, though, because Forever is a very long time, my friends.

And you can’t do that with just anybody.

I couldn’t do that with just anybody.

Which is why I said, "I do". Which is why she said, "I do". And which is how we were able to navigate the life that both unfolded and unraveled after that. A life that’s been breathtaking in wonderful and terrible ways.

And yeah of course we’re thankful for the Wonderful.

But when it comes to the Terrible…

We’re Thankful for each other.

:-)

#marriage #married #wedding #relationship #friendship #forever #love #laughter #wisdom #experience #learning #wonderful and terrible #wedding anniversary #things we learned #change #learning to deal #I do

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