Essentially Athena

I got to go to the movies again recently (one of my favourite past-times in the whole world!!) and was struck by so many things—the fabulous acting, the out-of-this-world wardrobe design and styling, the crisp and dynamic cinematography/narrative flow, the absolutely killer soundtrack ... but more so than anything, I was deeply moved by the mere *presence* of it all. The energy embodied by the characters, and consequently evoked within me, throughout this creative masterpiece were, simply put, nothing short of awe-inspiring (and I'm talking Old Testament/wrath-of-God kind of awe here, folks).  But what is this film actually about? We're almost all familiar with the original 1961 Disney classic "101 Dalmatians" (and, perhaps to a lesser extent, its live-action adaptation from 1996), but this newly vamped-up version seriously takes the meaning of "De Vil" to a whole new level. This version is dark, it's intense, and for the first time since Disney took it ...

The world is full of archetypes (of which the zodiac is only a handful), but these quickly turn to stereotypes if we aren't educated about them and keep ourselves in check (i.e. remember that they are simply parts of a whole and never stand on their own). So, let's take a look at the theory behind this classic astrology meme, today, shall we...?! ♈️ 𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: "Am anger"—ruled by Mars, planet of conflict/aggression/willpower/sex/anger/motivation/... (you get the picture), and a cardinal fire sign, which means fast-paced initiation (i.e. impulsive reactivity, lol). Check.  ♉️ 𝗧𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗨𝗦: "Am rite U wrong"—a fixed earth sign, the most stable/immovable energy in the zodiac...so, an unshakeable opinion is ONE way for this to manifest. Check.  ♊️ 𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜: "Am never shut up"—ruled by Mercury, planet of communication, and an air sign, which is social...Gemini is therefore highly stimulated by conversation. Check.  ♋️ 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥: "Am crie...

Two years ago today, I was sitting on a bus from Vienna to Berlin with the overwhelming sensation that the broken heart I was carrying would never heal. I had just ended a very complicated and painful relationship with someone who meant a great deal to me— again. Only, this time, it really felt like I was so completely drained, so traumatized by everything I had just gone through, that I could hardly fathom letting anyone close to me ever again. I was so full of rage and fear and despair, that I ironically felt almost nothing except the iron cage I was erecting to try and protect myself. The smallest touch was a potential threat, the slightest interest from anyone a blanket of obligation and guilt about to suffocate me into submission. I had no clue how to relate to anyone anymore or if I even wanted to.   On top of all that, I had been struggling with unemployment for years, my physical health, depression, and an intense feeling of ostracization from society. It felt like my goals...

The foundation of esoteric theory is the polarity of the masculine and feminine principle. Both are equal—equally valuable, equally powerful, equally necessary. Two sides of the same coin, the paradox of opposites inherent in Singularity ... And yet, today I want to predominantly express a feminine perspective. This perspective is not limited to biological females, in my opinion, as we all have the essence of both within us and can relate to each in various ways; however, I do think it is one that has been accentuated, at least for me, due to simply being and living as a woman. And that perspective is tired. Tired of rushing, tired of pushing, tired of producing, tired of competing, tired of analyzing and having to have proof and good reason for every little thing that I say and do in my life. I don't want to have to justify the way that I feel, what I believe to be true, the things I imagine and how I allow myself to dream. I want to be accepted and good enough as I am in this mom...

Image by silviarita from Pixabay It's hard to know what to say in times like this. My whole life, I've had the privilege of living in a peaceful country where I was generally unafraid—occurrences such as shootings or terrorist attacks simply weren't a part of our lives in an immediate way, existing only on the periphery of awareness and many miles away. Now, they are on our doorstep. Now, the need for vigilance is beginning to creep into our lives too.  What I'd like to stress right now is that it is so tempting for this vigilance to morph into fear. I'm urging you to not let this happen. It's natural to question our safety and look for protection outside of ourselves when these things happen, but we need to start realizing that we have far more power over our circumstances than we think. Clinging to something (whether it's a person, an institution, escapist tendencies, religion, ...) out of fear just generates more fear (Lessons from Scorpio 101). And, in t...

You probably know the feeling — the one rising up from the pit of your stomach in distaste as you stumble across some magazine or newspaper column saying that you're  totally incompatible with Leo if you're a Taurus and you should probably  not  go skiing on Wednesday if you're a Pisces (your crush might ask you out by Friday though, so you're good). And even though statements like these are admittedly not completely divorced from astrological theory, it's still enough to make just about anyone cringe. But what if I were to tell you that astrology is so much more than that? Beyond all the generalized, superficial drivel, there's a world of timeless imagery and a wonderfully rich exploration of the human experience — the main premise of which being that there are certain basic tendencies and patterns of behaviour (in other words, archetypes) that can be found in each of us, the evolution of our lives, and the world around us.  "(...) forget everything you t...

It's easy to demonize authority. From Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid" to George Orwell's "1984", it's been rehashed with strikingly similar motifs time and time again. After all, this is something we've been wrestling with since we were two and Mom or Dad told us to eat our veggies.  Now it's "Don't go outside.", "Wash your hands.", "Don't play with the other kids." — needless to say, it's got some of our inner terrible toddlers just a little riled up. W e all long for personal freedom: the freedom to choose, the freedom to express, the freedom to pursue and explore our dreams and desires without restriction, or to simply create a life for ourselves  without major interference. And yet, m any of us are currently being confronted with a level of control and, let's face it, semi-totalitarianism that we've never personally experienced so far in our lifetime, even if it is for t...