Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
16
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / XV. Devil - Magus
« on: December 14, 2011, 01:41:39 pm »XV.
DEVIL:
DEVIL:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Devil sits above two naked human demons—one male, one female, who are chained to his seat. The Tarot Devil card is derived in part from Eliphas Levi's famous illustration "Baphomet" in his Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1855). Baphomet is winged and horned, combining human and bestial features. Many modern Tarot decks portray the Devil as a satyr-like creature. In the Tarot of Marseilles, the devil is portrayed with facial features in unusual places, such as a mouth on his stomach, eyes on his knees, and with female breasts and male genitalia.
According to Waite, the Devil is standing on an altar.[1] In his left hand, the Devil holds a great flaming torch inverted towards the earth. A reversed pentagram is on his forehead.
Eliphas Levi says in his book, Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual that:
"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates." In Native American tarot, the attribution is often more complex than this.[2]"
(From wikipedia)
Keywords: Ravage, weird or strange experience, downfall, unexpected failure, controversy, violence, disaster, an ill-tempered person
Reversed: Divorce, release, handicaps are overcome, enlightenment
(From themysticeye.com)
Description: "Perhaps the most misunderstood card of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius (Bacchus). These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. Sometimes, this card says, it is good to dance with Bacchus, surrendering control, or be Bacchus and manipulate. Too much restraint can hold you back and keep you from achieving important things.
In this regard, we might say that this card is about being honest with yourself. What do you desire? What gives you pleasure? What has power over you (and will enslave you if you let it), and what makes you feel powerful (and will help you reach your highest goals)?
With Capricorn as its ruling sign, the Devil is also a card about ambitions, about commitment and resourcefulness. This is the mountain goat that aims to get to the top and does all its needs to do to get there.
As a person, the Devil can stand for a man or woman of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad person, but certainly a powerful person who is hard to resist. The querent needs to watch themselves lest they end up needing this powerful person to give them identity. On the other hand, the querent might find themselves in "Devil" mode, egging others on, playing puppetmaster. This, too, can become their identity. Thus, the addict and pusher can create a co-dependent relationship that is not healthy for either.
When not indicating a person, the Devil card is synonymous with temptation and addiction, anything that we find hard to resist be it chocolate, sex or heroin. Readers should ask querents if there's anything they've been having trouble resisting of late. It is important to point out, as the card does, that, often (though not always), we don't resist is because we don't want to. This needs to be recognized and acknowledge as it means that the power to change the situation is with us, not with what tempts us."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "The Fool comes to the foot of an enormous black mountain where reigns a creature half goat, half god. At his hooves naked people, linked to the god's throne by chains, engage in every indulgence imaginable: sex, drugs, food, drink. The closer the Fool gets, the more he feels his own earthly desires rising in him. Carnal desires, hunger for food and power, greed and selfishness. "I have given up all such desires!" he roars at the Goat god, resisting the beast's power with all his might. He is sure that this is a test of his new spirituality, one where he must prove that the temptations of the material world cannot sway him.
The creature responds to his defiance with a curious look. "All I am doing is bringing out what is already in you," it responds mildly. "Such feelings are nothing to fear, nothing to be ashamed of, or even to avoid. They are even useful to helping you in your quest for spirituality, though many try to pretend otherwise."
The Fool gestures angrily at the chained men and women, "You say that even though these are clearly enslaved to the material world?"
The Goat-god mimics the Fool's gesture. "Take another look." The Fool does so, and realizes that the chained collars the men and women wear are wide enough for them to easily slip off over their heads. "They can be free if they wish to be," the Goat-god says, "They remain here because they want to be controlled by their base, bestial desires. There are, however, others…."
At this the Goat-god gestures upward, toward the peak of the mountain. "…Others who have used these same impulses to climb to the highest heights. If they had denied their desires they'd never have gotten there."
On hearing this, the Fool sees that he has mistaken the Goat-god. This is not a creature of evil as he thought, but of great power, the lowest and the highest, both of beast and god. Like all power, it is frightening, and dangerous...but it is also a key to freedom and transcendence. '"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
17
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / XIV. Temperance - Melchior
« on: December 14, 2011, 01:30:10 pm »XIV.
TEMPERANCE:
TEMPERANCE:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "Temperance is almost invariably depicted as a person pouring liquid from one receptacle into another. Historically, this was a standard symbol of the virtue temperance, one of the cardinal virtues, representing the dilution of wine with water. In many decks, the person is a winged person/angel, usually female or androgynous, and stands with one foot on water and one foot on land."
(From wikipedia)
Keywords: Moderation, temperance, patience, harmony, fusion, good influence, confidence
Reversed: Discord, conflict, disunion, hostility, frustration, impatience
(From themysticeye.com)
Description: "It is hard, at first, to see where Sagittarius, the ruling sign of this card, fits in. Sagittarius is an expansive sign and we often identify Temperance with abstinence. Temperance, however, really means moderation. Thus, you don't give up wine, but rather cut the wine with water.
There is, however, another angle to the card, that of "tempering" or transforming-thus we continue on from Death, which prepared us for transformation. With tempering, iron is transformed into steel with heating and cooling, fire and water.
Similarly, Sagittarius, the centaur, is another one of those creatures that merges beast and man into something unique. Yet not so unique as men and horses have often "merged" together, the one on the back of the other to form a unit. And then there is the bow and arrow, one moving, one stationary, working together to point the way. Temperance may be, at first glance, a warning to "temper" your behavior, but it may also be a reminder that seemingly irreconcilable opposites may not be irreconcilable.
Sagittarius is a sign of optimism, philosophy, and taking risks. This card urges the querent to have faith that they can merge fiery red and watery blue into otherworldly violet. But they will need to experiment, have confidence, and try, try, again."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "Recovering from feelings of loss at last, the Fool begins to wonder if he will finally find the new spirituality he's after. It occurs to him that so far, he's been dealing with opposites: the two opposing sides of the scales (Justice), the material and spiritual (which he hung between as the Hanged man), death and birth (the one leading into the other in the Death card). Does one always have to be surrendered to get the other? he wonders.
It is at this point that he comes upon a winged figure standing with one foot in a brook, the other on a rock. The radiant creature pours something from one flask into another. Drawing closer, the Fool sees that what is being poured from one flask is fire, while water flows from the other. The two are being blended together into a completely different substance!
"How can you mix fire and water?" the Fool finally whispers. Never pausing the Angel answers, "You must have the right vessels and use the right proportions."
The Fool watches with wonder. "Can this be done with all opposites?" he asks. "Indeed," the Angel replies, "Any oppositions, fire and water, man and woman, thesis and anti-thesis, can be made into a unified third. It is only a lack of will and a disbelief in the possibility that keeps opposites, opposite." And that is when the Fool begins to understand that he is the one who is keeping his universe in twain, holding life/death, material world and spiritual world separate. In him the two could merge. All it takes, the Fool realizes, is the right proportions, the right vessel and enough faith that the two can be unified. '"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
18
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / XIII. Death - Lavos
« on: December 14, 2011, 01:21:11 pm »XIII.
Death:
Death:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "The Death card commonly depicts a skeleton riding a horse. Surrounding it are dead and dying people from all classes, including kings, bishops and commoners. The skeleton carries a black standard emblazoned with a white flower. Some decks depict the Crashing Towers from The Moon with The Sun rising behind them in the background. Some decks, such as the Tarot of Marseilles, omit the name from the card.
The king is trampled by a reaping skeleton horseman, as the Pictorial Key to the Tarot describes him, which appears to be a personification of death. The fall of the king may represent the importance and magnitude of the critical event of this card, or that death takes us all equally.
The reaper carries a black banner emblazoned with the Mystic Rose, which according to Waite symbolises life or rebirth.
As in other cards, the gray background may indicate uncertainty surrounding this event.
The bishop may represent faith in the face of death, faith in the divine plan, and faith that "God works in mysterious ways".
The maiden seeming distraught by the fall of the king represents the sorrow and great pain that often accompanies death.
The child, seemingly entranced by the occurrence, may represent bewilderment or curiosity.
In the darkness behind, according to Waite's PKT, lies the whole world of ascent in the spirit.
Although some believe the New Jerusalem appears as a silhouette across the Sun,[1] it does not appear clearly enough to be certain and may instead be the tops of The Moon's mountains."
(From wikipedia)
Keywords: Transformation, making way for the new, unexpected change, loss, failure, illness or death, bad luck
Reversed: Stagnation, immobility, slow changes, a narrow escape, cheating death
(From themysticeye.com)
Description: "Perhaps the most common question asked about Tarot Cards is, "Can the Death card mean a real death?"
Yes, it can. The Death card is about endings, and that includes the ending of a life. What everyone seems to forget, however, is that the Death card is not exclusively about the end of a human life. In fact, it's far more likely that the card is telling you that a goldfish or a houseplant will die. Death can mean the "end" of anything: The end of an era, the end of a trip, the closing of a restaurant, the breaking up of a band, the conclusion of a very rough week. Any and all of these as well as a million more possible interpretations can be applied to the Death card. So it is foolish to fear it for the fact that, once in a great while, it will let you know that some sick, elderly relative might not be long for this world.
Even more important to remember: the Death card is less about something dying then about how a person deals with endings.
We might be delighted that something is finally over and done with, like a terrible job we hated. Or we might be heartbroken, like over the loss of that poor goldfish. Either way, we require time to come to terms with the fact that something we were used to is no longer a part of our lives.
With Scorpio as its sign, the Death card is as much about transformation as about loss. Scorpio has three forms: scorpion, serpent, eagle. The Death card indicates this transition from lower to higher to highest. In addition, Scorpio is also about sex. So even as something is taken from us, something new is created.
That new thing will not be the same as what was lost, but it will step into that empty space and give us reason to carry on"
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "Having left the tree from where he hung, the Fool moves carefully through a fallow field, head still clearing from visions. The air is cold and wintry, the trees bare. He knows he has started on his spiritual journey in earnest, but feels strangely empty and profoundly sad, as if he has lost something.
Before him he sees, rising with the sun, a skeleton in black armor mounted on a white horse. He recognizes it as Death. As it stops before him, he humbly asks, "Have I died?" And the Skeleton answers, "Yes, in a way. You sacrificed your old world, your old self. Both are gone, dead."
The Fool cannot keep from weeping. "Forgive me," he says, embarrassed by his tears.
"There is nothing to forgive," Death replies. "Mourning is natural and you must deal with your loss before you can accept anything new. Keep in mind, however, that old leaves must wither and fly away from a tree's branches, leaving them bare, before new green leaves can appear."
As Death rides away, the Fool sees the truth in those words. He, too, feels like a skeleton, all that he was stripped away. This, he understands, is how all great transformations start, by removing everything down to bare bone or soil so that something new has room to grow."
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
19
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / XI. Justice - Frog (Masamune & Hero's Medal)
« on: December 14, 2011, 12:57:42 pm »XI.
Justice:
Justice:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "The Justice figure seated or standing between pillars, scales in one hand (usually left), upraised sword in the other hand. Sometimes blindfolded."
(From wikipedia)
Keywords: Harmony, balance, equality, righteousness, virtue, honor, advice, a considerate person
Reversed: Bias, false accusations, intolerance, unfairness, abuse
(From themysticeye.com)
Description: "With Libra as its ruling sign, Justice is about cold, objective balance through reason or natural force. This is the card that tells the querent that excesses have consequences. Indulging in drinking and drugs will affect their health, just as excessive exercise can damage muscles and joints and working too much can make one neglect family and friends.
Justice urges the querent to make adjustments, do whatever is necessary to bring things back into balance: physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually. In a more mundane sense, this card may signal a court case, legal documents, adjustments in a marriage or partnership. The outcome of all of these may not be exactly what the querent wants, but it will be what they need. It will also be scrupulously fair. If the card is reversed, it can indicate bias, obstruction of the law, or legal complications."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "The Fool is looking for a new path, a new aspiration and inspiration for his life. Sitting uncertain at a crossroads he notices a blind wise woman listening to two brothers argue over an inheritance. They have come to her for judgment. One brother has the whole inheritance, the other has nothing.
"I ask that all of it be given to me," the poor brother demands, "Not only because I have a better right to it, but because I will not be wasteful with it, as he is!" But the rich brother protests, "It is rightfully mine and that's all that should matter, not what I do with it!"
The woman listens, then awards half of the rich brother's inheritance to the poor brother. The Fool thinks this only fair, but neither brother is happy. The rich one hates losing half his wealth, and the poor one feels he ought to have gotten all.
"You were fair," the Fool remarks to the woman after the brothers have left. "Yes, I was," she answers plainly. "With only half the inheritance, the rich one will stop being so wasteful. And the poor one will have as much as he needs. Even though they cannot see it, this decision was good for both."
The Fool thinks on this and realizes that he has spent his life achieving worldly ambitions and physical goods while leaving his spiritual self to starve. He ought to have given half his time and energy to his spiritual self, but he didn't. It's no wonder that he feels unbalanced. Thanking the woman, he heads out to restore equilibrium to his inner scales. '"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
20
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / X. Wheel of Fortune - Time Gate
« on: December 14, 2011, 12:44:21 pm »
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "...modeled ever since the tarot's inception in the 15th century after the medieval concept of Rota Fortunae, the wheel of the goddess Fortuna. Images generally show a six- or eight-spoked wheel, often attended or crested by an individual (sometimes human; sometimes a Sphinx-like half-human) attired in an Egyptian-style headdress. In some decks, such as the AG Müller, the wheel is also attended by an individual wearing a blindfold; and often there are people sitting or riding on the wheel whilst others are shown falling from it.
The wheel is not always shown inscribed with any lettering. Where this is the case, the letters T-A-R-O can often be found aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning "wheel". In some decks, such as the Waite, the wheel is also inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water (which are also said to be represented throughout the Tarot by the four 'suits' of Pentacles or Discs, Swords, Wands and Cups respectively.[3] These emblems can also be seen on the Magician's table in the Magician card (Card I)).
On the Waite card shown, though not necessarily on others, there are also four winged creatures in the corners of the card, representing the symbols of the four Evangelists (The Lion, the Ox, the Man and the Eagle). Representing the four astrological signs (Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio). In addition a representation of the god Anubis is seen rising with the wheel on the right side, while the snake-like Typhon descends on the left. On the wheel, alternating with the letters T-A-R-O are the Hebrew letters י-ה-ו-ה, usually transliterated as YHWH (Yahweh), the name of the God of Israel.
In this Mythopoetic approach, which views the Major Arcana as a journey through life taken by the character of the Fool (the Fool being the first card, or the zero card, of the Major Arcana), the Wheel of Fortune represents the intercession of random chance into the Fool's path. The card represents the forces that can help or hinder the querant suddenly or unpredictably.
It can also represent the underlying order that the Magician attempts to master. The letters on the wheel were intended by Waite to mean "Rota Taro Orat Tora Ator," which he "translated" (this term used loosely) to: "The Wheel of Taro[t] speaks the Law of Ator [Hathor, or Love]."[7]
Through its cross sum (the sum of the digits), it is closely connected to The Magician and The Sun (cards 1 and 19 of the Major Arcana respectively).[8] Each represents a break with the previously established order: the Magician starting the journey; The Wheel of Fortune introducing random chance; and The Sun reborn from the underworld.[9]"
(from Wikipedia)
Keywords: Destiny, fortune, a special gain, an unusual loss, end of a problem, unexpected events, advancement, progress
Reversed: Failure, bad luck, interruption, outside influences, bad fate, unexpected events
(From themysticeye.com)
Description: "With Jupiter as its ruling planet, the Wheel of Fortune is all about luck and change. The wheel symbolizes completeness as well as the rise and fall of fortunes and the message that what goes around comes around. Almost every definition of this card indicates abundance, happiness, elevation, or luck; a change that just happens, and brings with it great joy."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "From out of hiding comes the Fool, into the sunlight, as if being pulled up from some low, dark point on a wheel. It is time for a change. Staff in hand, he heads back out into the world, expecting nothing. But, strangely, things seem to happen to him as the hours go by, good things. Wandering by a water wheel a woman offers him a drink in a golden chalice, and then urges him to keep the cup; as he wanders by a windmill, he stops to watch a young man swinging a sword; when he expresses his admiration of the weapon, the young man presses it into his hand, insisting that he take it.
And finally, when he comes upon a rich merchant sitting in a wagon, right over one of the wheels, the man hands him a bag of money. "I decided to give this to the tenth person who walked past me today," explains the Merchant, "You're the tenth." The Fool hardly thought he could still be surprised, but he is. It is as if everything good that he ever did in his life is being paid back to him, three-fold. All luck this day is his."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
21
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / VIII. Strength - Ayla
« on: December 13, 2011, 05:30:25 pm »VIII.
STRENGTH:
STRENGTH:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "The key characters are that of a woman and a lion, with the woman looking calm and gentle, yet dominant over the lion. Many cards, including that of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, have the woman clasping the lion's jaws. Another feature of the RWS deck is a lemniscate (a kind of geometric form) hovering over the woman's head. Other decks have the woman sitting upon the lion, or merely with one hand upon it. Some decks feature just one of the characters; flowers are often presented on this card."
(From wikipedia)
Keywords: Strength, courage, conviction, energy, determination, action, heroism, virility
Reversed: Weakness, pettiness, sickness, tyranny, lack of faith, abuse of power
(From learntarot.com & themysticeye.com)
Description: "There are many stories that come to mind with this card: Daniel in the lion's den. The Aesop's fable of "The Sun and the Wind," where the Sun's warmth, as compared to the Wind's coldness, persuades a man to take off his coat. Also tales of saintly maids who get brutish barbarians to kneel down in prayer. What we see in all these stories is the taming of the beast by way of inner strength and gentleness.
The Maiden represents higher feelings and that we can experience if we bring our wild passions to heel. And so we willingly do so.
This card, however, isn't just about the Maiden's power. Like its ruling sign Leo, this card is also about the hot, roaring energy and enthusiasm of the Lion including passions like "lust" (which is the name it was given by Crowley in his Thoth deck). The lion's power may be frightening, but it is also desirable. Much can be achieved if such power is put to use. Some decks, in fact, label this card as "Power."
That energies can be brought under control and used is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card #8 instead of Strength. There is a difference, however, between Strength and the Chariot. The Chariot is a card about using your impulses to achieve a victory.
Strength is about combining two strengths to overcome weakness. The Maiden is weak of form, but her mastery of herself is powerful. The Lion is strong of form, but weak when it comes to mastering himself. The Maiden's commands overcome the Lion's weakness, and his form overcomes the Maiden's weakness. This is why the Maiden doesn't try to harness the lion to a chariot, nor does she run from it or try to kill it. She meets its eyes, touches it, embraces it. This is a card about understanding our wild natures, accepting them, yet also gentling those passions so that they work for us rather than against us. Putting these two strengths together creates perseverance, personal honor, and courage.
The card can also stand for a steadfast friend."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "The Fool, victorious over his enemies, is feeling arrogant, powerful, even vengeful. There are hot passions in him, ones he finds himself unable and unwilling to control. It is in this state that he comes across a maiden struggling with a lion. Running to help, he arrives in time to see her gently but firmly shut the lion's mouth! In fact, the beast, which seemed so wild and fierce, is now completely at her command.
Amazed, the Fool asks her, "How did you do that?" One hand on the lion's mane, she answers, "I asked the lion to do it, and it did it."
"But-but-" the Fool stutters, confounded. "Why did it want to obey?" At that moment, the Maiden meets the Fool's eyes; he sees in her warmth, gentleness, a heart so great that its generosity seems as infinite as its willingness to understand. And that is when the Fool understands exactly why the lion did her bidding.
It wanted to connect to that higher energy.
Yet there is still one thing that confuses the Fool. "But," he says, much softer now, "Why would you, fair maiden, want to keep company with a beast?"
"Because he, too, is filled with a wonderful energy," the Maiden says. "It is wild and fierce, but it can be banked, like a fire in a hearth. I knew if he would take direction from me, we could both be warmed."
"So, too," she adds, "are our passions. Let them run wild and they will do damage. But we can, with gentle fortitude, check and direct those passions. In doing so, we can get so much more out of them. And yet, still sate them."
His rage quieted, the enlightened Fool walks away knowing that it wasn't only the lion that was tamed this day by a Maiden's pure and innocent strength. '"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
22
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / VII. Chariot - Epoch
« on: December 13, 2011, 05:22:28 pm »VII.
CHARIOT:
CHARIOT:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "Triumphal "car" (chariot), armored warrior, sun/moon symbols, lingam and yoni symbol (the encircled rod on the winged shield), black and white sphinxes/lions/horses, sometimes at rest. A canopy of stars and sometimes a throne inside the car."
(From Aeclectic)
Keywords: Perseverance, a journey, a rushed decision, adversity, turmoil, vengeance
Reversed: Unsuccessful, defeat, failure, last minute loss, vanquishment
(From learntarot.com & themysticeye.com)
Description: "The chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it's about getting what you want. It implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory over enemies, obstacles, nature, the uncertainties inside you. But there is a great deal more to it. The charioteer wears emblems of the sun, yet the sign behind this card is Cancer, the moon. The chariot is all about motion, and yet it is often shown as stationary.
What does this all mean? It means a union of opposites, like the black and white steeds. They pull in different directions, but must be (and can be!) made to go together in one direction. That is perhaps the most important message of the Chariot. Separate the driver form the chariot, the chariot from the horses, the horses from each other and from the driver, and nothing gets done. They all do their own thing. Put them all together, with the same goal in mind, and there will be no stopping them.
Confidence as well as unity of purpose and control is needed, and, most especially, motivation. The card can, in fact, indicate new motivation or inspiration, which gets a stagnant situation moving again. It can also imply, on a more pragmatic level, a trip (usually by car)."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "The Fool is close to completing what he set out to create long ago, back when the Magician revealed those tools to him. But enemies are now standing in his way, devious human enemies, bad circumstances, even confusion in his own mind. There's no more forward momentum; he feels he is fighting just to stay where he is. Walking along the shore, watching the waves come in, he puzzles over how to defeat these enemies and get things moving forward once again. It is here that he comes across a charioteer, standing in his gold and silver chariot, his black and white steeds at rest. "You seem a victorious warrior," the Fool remarks. "I feel beset by my enemies, unable to move forward. What should I do?
"First, you must armor yourself," the Charioteer strikes the chariot and then his breastplate with a gauntleted fist, making both ring out. "Next, you must focus on your goal, where do you mean to go, what do you mean to do." The warrior nods to his beasts. "Your steeds keep the wheels turning, but it is your control and direction of them that gets them to their destination. Dark and light, they must be made to draw in harmony, under your guidance." The Fool nods. That makes sense. "What if an someone or something gets in your way?"
The Charioteer coolly meets the Fool's gaze. "You run them down. Your aim is victory, and to be victorious you must have unwavering confidence in your cause. Never question, never doubt what you're trying to achieve. Never lose your focus or your motivation."
The Fool is impressed and inspired. He thinks he now knows how to get past all the distractions and setbacks that have been keeping him trapped in place, like a riptide in the ocean. He thanks the warrior, but before he leaves, the warrior stays the Fool.
"One thing more you should keep in mind," he says, "Victory is not the end, it is the beginning. Remember that before you decide to enter into any contest." '"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
23
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / VI. Lovers - Crono & Marle
« on: December 13, 2011, 05:11:44 pm »VI.
LOVERS:
LOVERS:
Summary: *Reserved*
Symbolism: "The Lovers is associated with the star sign Gemini, and indeed is also known as The Twins in some decks. Other associations are with Air, Mercury, and the Hebrew letter ז (Zayin)."(From wikipedia)
"The lovers are represented by a young couple, who are naked. Their nudity represents their innocence in love. Between them is a spirit, or an angel, which separates them. Behind each lover is a tree, each full of fruit. The love between these two has come to fruition." (From Suite 101)
"An angel or cupid, a man and a woman, two trees (in Waite, it is Adam & Eve with one tree having a serpent and apples) - in some decks one tree is flowering, but the other has fruit. Also in some decks there is a man standing between two women." (From Aeclectic)
Keywords: Love, harmony, trust, honor, the beginning of a romance, optimism, a meaningful relationship/affair
Reversed: Unreliability, separation, frustration in love, fickleness, untrustworthy
(From learntarot.com & themysticeye.com)
Description: ""What is the Lovers' card about? Is it about finding love?" Yes, and no. It is possible that the original name of this card was "Love." The oldest decks call it "The amorous one," The Lovers being a mistranslation. So really, it's about one person being "in love" with someone or something.
Many books, however, define the card not as "Love" but as a "choice." And the images that have been used for this card make it even more confusing. The original trump featured a man and a woman with a cupid above them about to shoot his dart (into which? Cupid's arrows only make the one they strike fall in love). Later decks had a man choosing between two women, or a man meeting his true love with the help of a matchmaker. Still later, with Waite, we have an Angel above Adam and Eve. The Angel stands for Raphael, who is emblematic of Mercury and Air, with Adam and Eve related to Gemini (sign of Mercury) in that Eve split from Adam and is, essentially, his twin.
And the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge indicates Adam and Eve choosing to "know" each other in every sense of the word.
This connection to Gemini means that the Lovers card is NOT about "romance" or passion. Romantic emotions are typically related to water. And blazing passion is associated with fire. Gemini, an air sign, is about messages and making contact. It's about the psyche.
In addition, at #6 the Lover's card is about "harmony." Thus, it is about something that speaks to you, that you "know" and recognize as your other or mirror self (twin), and which makes you feel harmonically balanced or complete. You may experience this psychic attraction to something small like a pair of shoes you have to have, or a rock band whose music says all you ever wanted to say. Or you might be drawn to something huge, a plot of land you want to own, or someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend who, at first sight, makes you think: "That's my husband/wife."
In interpretation, the card indicates that the querent has come across, or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing (a puppy, a car, a house) that they will fall in love with. They will know instinctively that it was meant for them, even if it means diverging from their chosen path (that is the "Love" part). On the other hand, their common sense must also make a decision on whether or not to go along with this psychic "choice." There is often a measure of hardship or cost that comes with giving into this spiritual attraction."
(From Aeclectic Tarot)
Fool's Journey: "The Fool comes to a cross-road, filled with energy, confidence and purpose, knowing exactly where he wants to go and what he wants to do. But he comes to a dead stop. A flowering tree marks the path he wants to take, the one he's been planning on taking. But standing before a fruit tree marking the other path is a woman. The Fool has met and had relationships with women before, some far more beautiful and alluring. But she is different. Seeing her, he feels as though he's just been shot in the heart with cupid's arrow.
That's how shocking, how painful is his "recognition" of her. As he speaks with her, the feeling intensifies; like finding a missing part of himself. It is clear that she feels the same about him. They finish each other's sentences, think the same thoughts. It is as if an Angel above had introduced their souls to each other.
Though it was his plan to follow the path of the flowering tree, and though it will cause some trouble for him to bring this woman with him, the Fool knows he dare not leave her behind. Like the fruit tree, she will fulfill him. No matter how divergent from his original intent, she is his future. He chooses her, and together they head down a whole new road.'"
(from Aeclectic Tarot)
Feel free to post additional insights into the card, questions, & ideas for the artists to consider!
24
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / Chrono Tarot -- Submission Guidelines
« on: November 26, 2011, 04:25:30 pm »
Welcome to the Chrono Compendium's Tarot-making factory! The current theme of the project is Chrono Trigger, and we're calling all artists, writers and gawkers awesome people on-board. Guidelines are subjected to change based on circumstances, so be prepared.
Just remember: Be respectful! We're awesome folks at work here, doing extremely clever things that it'd help to have some people around looking impressed (or at least handing respectful criticisms).
Summary
The Tarot project will take references from the Rider-Waite deck, which is considered to be a standard, and the development of the cards will be based on the discussion and index decided unanimously. Each card signifies symbolically aesthetic quality and meaning behind the character / item that represents it, and also have a story behind it. As the discussion summarizes each card, it is an artist's job to visualize and craft that meaning into an image on the card.
Feel free to either participate in existing threads or create threads for the card of your choice that hasn't been touched upon, based on the discussed and agreed index. You may post WIP sketches and collaborate with other artists at the same time, but know the responsibility of updating your first posts in time. And because it's a collaborative project, other artists can feel free to poke fellow artists and help improve on their work, either via criticisms, opinions, or simply painting into their canvas with or without permission (or alternatively, drawing on their faces). It's all in good fun!
For artists: There is no restriction on the color palette, save to be true to the original. The art-style itself needs to be on par with the likes of Yuumei, Shilin and Laverinne. Don't worry if you can't, just start on with the best of your abilities; as a team, we'll help you get there. Take this as an opportunity to hone your skills.
But remember: NO STEALING! Be creative, don't be a thief. Just in case you want to protect your work, you may feel free to upload your artworks to either the Compendium database (ask either me or the mods to do so), Flickr, or DeviantArt with a CC license attached -- that way, you only give the Tarot project the ability to use and modify your work.
Guidelines For Submission
1) Title: This should consist of the name of the card in this format -- "Card No. Name of Tarot -- Name of Character"
For example: "II. High Priestess - Schala"
2) Always accompany the first post, first and foremost, with the image and description / attributes (in quotes) of the relevant Rider-Waite Card:
You can find the cards here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider-Waite_tarot_deck
Find the descriptions here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/
And the attributes here: http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm
3) Tell a story: When writing the Summary of the card at the beginning, it is important to have a short, poetic story describing the essence of the card and character itself. If you're unable to write the story on your own at the time, just place the tag "Reserved" and our writers will follow up with a story that can help fill the space up.
4) Paint! Paint! Paint! You read that right!
As mentioned, the art-style is required to be similar to Yuumei, Shilin and Laverinne.
Make sure to include the actual Arcana into the artwork as a symbolic representation. In the words of Manly Man, "For your example, have something actually with the sun in it, such as Lucca in the pose she makes to cast Flare, only instead of the waves of fire behind her, it's... well, a picture of the sun."
5) Quote: Add in a quote either said by the character / item or attributed towards them.
6) Pat yourself on the back: Congratulations for ascending to Awesome-hood!
Just remember: Be respectful! We're awesome folks at work here, doing extremely clever things that it'd help to have some people around looking impressed (or at least handing respectful criticisms).
Summary
The Tarot project will take references from the Rider-Waite deck, which is considered to be a standard, and the development of the cards will be based on the discussion and index decided unanimously. Each card signifies symbolically aesthetic quality and meaning behind the character / item that represents it, and also have a story behind it. As the discussion summarizes each card, it is an artist's job to visualize and craft that meaning into an image on the card.
Feel free to either participate in existing threads or create threads for the card of your choice that hasn't been touched upon, based on the discussed and agreed index. You may post WIP sketches and collaborate with other artists at the same time, but know the responsibility of updating your first posts in time. And because it's a collaborative project, other artists can feel free to poke fellow artists and help improve on their work, either via criticisms, opinions, or simply painting into their canvas with or without permission (or alternatively, drawing on their faces). It's all in good fun!
For artists: There is no restriction on the color palette, save to be true to the original. The art-style itself needs to be on par with the likes of Yuumei, Shilin and Laverinne. Don't worry if you can't, just start on with the best of your abilities; as a team, we'll help you get there. Take this as an opportunity to hone your skills.
But remember: NO STEALING! Be creative, don't be a thief. Just in case you want to protect your work, you may feel free to upload your artworks to either the Compendium database (ask either me or the mods to do so), Flickr, or DeviantArt with a CC license attached -- that way, you only give the Tarot project the ability to use and modify your work.
Guidelines For Submission
1) Title: This should consist of the name of the card in this format -- "Card No. Name of Tarot -- Name of Character"
For example: "II. High Priestess - Schala"
2) Always accompany the first post, first and foremost, with the image and description / attributes (in quotes) of the relevant Rider-Waite Card:
You can find the cards here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider-Waite_tarot_deck
Find the descriptions here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/
And the attributes here: http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm
3) Tell a story: When writing the Summary of the card at the beginning, it is important to have a short, poetic story describing the essence of the card and character itself. If you're unable to write the story on your own at the time, just place the tag "Reserved" and our writers will follow up with a story that can help fill the space up.
4) Paint! Paint! Paint! You read that right!
As mentioned, the art-style is required to be similar to Yuumei, Shilin and Laverinne. Make sure to include the actual Arcana into the artwork as a symbolic representation. In the words of Manly Man, "For your example, have something actually with the sun in it, such as Lucca in the pose she makes to cast Flare, only instead of the waves of fire behind her, it's... well, a picture of the sun."
5) Quote: Add in a quote either said by the character / item or attributed towards them.
6) Pat yourself on the back: Congratulations for ascending to Awesome-hood!
25
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / General Tarot Discussion thread
« on: November 24, 2011, 01:36:54 am »
Rather than flooding everyone's message box, I'm moving the discussion in this thread.
Useful link by Lady Marle: http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm
Useful link by Syna: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/
Useful link by yours truly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpRtrkx5dVc
Useful link by Lady Marle: http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm
Useful link by Syna: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/
Useful link by yours truly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpRtrkx5dVc
I think the first order of business may be to set a procedure for making decisions on the cards. Do we want to try and reach a consensus? Will it be by vote? Is everyone okay with a few people taking charge of the card selections? Will the artists work via collaboration, or by themselves, or in some combination of the two to try and nail a consistent aesthetic (perhaps at the expense of individual expression)? These are the sort of questions I'm pondering. We have four people, at least, who seem to know a great deal about Tarot; a number of fine artists; and more who have a rightful say in what gets chosen-- I think it would be easiest just to decide on procedure so things go smoothly, even if our procedure ends up being "Angerona makes the call."
Another thing we may wish to do is establish our priorities to act as guidelines as we work. For example, xcalibur mentioned that it would be best if we could have a broad representation of the time periods in the cards, and I said I'd prefer it if the Big Seven each got a Trump. The artists will need to think about how much they want to incorporate the traditional symbolism, what the art style and color palate looks like, etc. I hope that makes sense.
I think RW is a fine candidate for doing the card descriptions, though I do like the idea of a template with the Rider-Waite image, Chrono pics, description of symbolic imagery, and a standard definition of the card, perhaps using the wikipedia pages for ease of use; Lady Marle and whoever else can also quote whatever other sources would shed some insight into the topic, and as Tush proposed, we can quote the opinions that were voiced in the initial thread for optimal discussion.
We also may want to put up a thread for discussing the complete deck, particularly since we may want to discuss the Court Cards in relation to the trumps, and because we may want to have some information about the Tarot system as a whole readily available. Since the cards should work together in some cohesive fashion it would be good to have a place to discuss how they fit in relation to each other. The initial thread may service for this, but it's sort of bogged down at the moment with lots of people discussing lots of different things.
So in brief, my suggestions are:
- Let's decide on how we make final decisions;
- We may want to come up with guidelines for card selection (representative of all time periods? each of the major characters gets a Trump?) and aesthetics (templates for the back of the card, stylistic considerations, etc.).
- I would personally like to see a card for the Tarot as a whole and a Tarot for each trump. RW can do the descriptions & I'm also proposing that we use a template akin to the one xcalibur described.
Like RW, I'm very, very stoked that this is actually happening
26
Chrono Series Tarot Card Project / Chrono Tarot -- Trigger Card Designs and Templates
« on: November 20, 2011, 06:54:08 am »
UPDATE: Click here to download the Bolton font. Click the images to download the templates.
 |  |
Quote from: Outdated post
Here's a newer design for the card. The Chronometer was made with Blender. Unfortunately, I'm horrible at reflective surfaces.
http://i.imgur.com/ChQk5.png
http://i.imgur.com/KxmX5.png
And here's the front design template.
http://i.imgur.com/NJ8cB.jpg
27
General Discussion / Social Reforms -- Change The World With Style!
« on: November 18, 2011, 11:28:21 am »
In order to answer the question of reactions towards Anti-Misogyny law in my nation, this post was meant to go in the Fuck Sexism thread. But because we need a proper understanding of the level of reform that caused the law in the first place and redefine our primary goal of "justice", I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by explaining what makes the Indian culture different from the American and why there is a dire need for literary reform in America (and try to curb those wretched "knee-jerk law" reaction while promoting productive activism). And as such, this post needs a completely different thread, though the post will be divided into two parts.
Following this thread, feel free to discuss how you'd like to participate in helping your nation's culture to evolve beyond the need for Goverment/Totalitarian intervention and become self-reliant. The future resides, not in crutch of politicians who screw up, but in the hands of the commoners who dare to dream and live. So let's get started with...
Sexual Inequality
Sexual inequality. What can I say about it? A primary concern in domestic / social, urban and rural, political and corporate environments, it leads misogyny wherever cultural values are only a virtue of selected few rather than one of universal acceptance. America (I say this because the majority of the Compendium are Americans) is currently dealing with this frustration, but I would like to point that a few select states in India -- in lines of industrial development, education and high cultural values -- have actually effectively dealt with it at a grand scale (it still exists, but only at orthodox and illiterate backgrounds, such as Rajasthan or slums anywhere). And, unlike what some of the Compendium members suggested, we didn't need totalitarian restrictions on "free speech" (which is almost never effective) or criminalizing sexism, mind you; it was something much more subtle, much more powerful and even more beneficial, progressive and liberal. It was Social Reform Movement.
The persistence of security has quadrupled in the last decade, mostly due to constant national security threat from Extremists. However, the Judiciary, while asserting public security and stability, can rarely do much to improve the "Public Life", especially since justice is blind and is influenced by flawed principles in power. The question is, must we rely on the Judiciary and Government to recognize injustices and, hence, correct them? America is a Representative Democracy, and it's time to put that power to test.
Shortcomings of Law
I suppose anyone from a Developed Nation would place support in strengthening "law" in areas where crime rates are higher, but depends on the level and method of restriction of power and rights which a nation can either be judged a Democracy, Communism, or Totalitarian -- after all, Judiciary exists for the stability of the nation. But how much can the law actually achieve in an active regulation? Allow me to describe this in a satirical tone.
Our laws currently are sufficient to provide free speech to the commoners and penalize those who threaten that stability, such as thieves or murderers, and yet ordinary people tend to "complain" that there's too much of "evil" going around while quietly awaiting the Government to do something about it. When patience wears thin, and they notice more "evils" being conducted, they suddenly have a reckless knee-jerk reaction, "There should be a law against this and that" as if it's so easy to pass a bill and change something without consequences. Some of the best of them study law and politics to become lawyers and politicians, and in the end do the same thing others before them did: constantly bicker self-righteously, while the public stays in the heat for too long. Then somebody gets a bright idea to "restrict" freedom of speech and action to reduce domestic abuse and hopefully solve all crimes. What do you get? (Note: I actually had friends named Sophia and Tim, and that was the actual dialog they once used)
Tim: "Hey, Sophia! What's wrong with your hair today?"
Sophia: "Dammit! You disgusting prick, I'll see you in court!"
So apparently everyone's being sent to prison one way or another, either for accidentally tripping over the stairs and damaging the walls, scratching you neighbor's brand new car, or simply inquiring about your ex-girlfriend's weird new hairdo, and what you call "Jail" has now become a vacation zone, the ticket's of which aren't available this summer. The only ones that usually don't find their way in those prisons are actual criminals -- those professional criminals who know the shortcomings of the law and are always capable of escaping, those who are mostly recognized as serial killers, organized criminals, human traffickers, drug dealers, organ thieves, etc. and slip in the shadow of commoners to do their business. These are the professionals who role their eyes when civilians bicker with the police and quietly do devious things while looking innocent in the face of the law. The best of predators always get away, leaving their preys to rot.
And hence my Psycho-Analyses of Psychopaths and similar potential predators, because in order to track and predict such perpetrators of crime there is heavy need to understand such minds beforehand lest we make fools of ourselves afterwards. We need to understand how they function, how they think, what classes of criminals have what patterns, where to get the next resources, what's the frequency of visits, how and what to prepare with, surveillance before the heist/murder, necessary bluffs and back ups, etc. (don't ask how I know all this). Hence why many law enforcement recruit criminal psychologists and profilers to make their task easier. And even then it's not enough, because with limits on law enforcement would render further limits on being able to establish control, and if the citizens merely notice the crime being committed and turn a blind eye, mumbling that "the government isn't reliable", it's simply doesn't help. And even if the citizens do responsibly inform beforehand of the offenses, there are times that even the police will be of no help, especially places beyond their jurisdiction, places law hasn't established fully, or even places where law exists but you're at the mercy of corruption. These are usually the places where you'll find an incredibly large number of human trafficking and organ thefts.
"Hey, my neighbor's being annoying. Why can't the government do something about it, while I'm too busy twiddling my thumb?"
"But Tushantin," you'd say, "surely Totalitarianism would a least get rid of domestic sexual and racial abuse?" Unfortunately, while it sounds like a good theory on paper, it's hardly practical or ethical. For one thing, Totalitarian would cause more harm than sexual and racial abuse, which our current culture and law manage to curb sufficiently anyway. Secondly, just because you force everyone to be vegetarians doesn't mean they're going to like it (it does reduce crime, but depends what you actually call "crime" anyway). They'll find ways to "sin" by eating a chicken or two, and you'll have more criminals in your hands, or perhaps more rebels who simply aren't pleased. So yeah, there goes your "Stability". While nations like Kazakhstan have managed to achieve this, doing the same at America would be destroying the very values the nation was founded upon.
(Note: There's a reason I posted that article regarding the Occupy movement; I actually sympathize with the Occupy protesters and whatever motivated their hatred, but if there's one thing the article got right was that, firstly, lack of leadership breaks them and, secondly, these mobs can suddenly turn violent at any given moment, beyond control. These two points may cause a severe impact, but they have no proper resolve or plan to achieve what they strive for).
Social Reform Movement
You might say that "every system has flaws" and that you'd help perfect it, but unfortunately, a Judiciary system can only do so much. And you probably think that there's simply no other alternative: "Law" is simply the only choice, right? Actually, there was always a second choice, an appropriate choice, and one that has succeeded time and time again, provided we have a proper, mature leadership -- one that served politically, but aimed at the society instead, and one lead by all that is good rather than "prejudiced Radicalism". While law handled the "tough guys" like kidnappers and wanted criminals, Social Reform Movements did unthinkable like end untouchability, establish "cultural ethics", abolished harmful orthodox traditions, unify religions, uniting science and spirituality, encouraged scientific and literary pursuits, and more importantly, end Sexual Inequality. And the movement didn't need to "force" individuals or societies long-term either, but simply establish "capacity" to help people judge between right or wrong and maintain a line of creative and empathetic negotiation within society. When schools were affordable only to the rich, Social Reforms educated the masses. When poverty denied Agency, Social Reforms gave it to them. When a damsel was in distress, Social Reforms turned up like a Superhero. Social Reforms was your friendly neighborhood Revolution, and created newer, better social order via education since intellectual and emotional development, and of course 'Liberalism', was its first priority.
The reason this movement works is because, unlike an angry mob, it isn't a group of 'protesters', but a community of intellectuals who bring about change with activism, education, empathy, and literature, art, songs and poetry. Such a movement is always targeted first to the public to 'benefit' them rather than face 'against' them, and as such is always welcomed with open arms. It then enables the capacity to establish 'moral principles' for the society to follow, and these principles are social and virtuous rather than forceful. What makes such a movement powerful and 'pure' is that under the guidance of a strong and wise leadership, revolutionaries, innovators and artists, any and every negativity and prejudice in such a movement is diluted with the involvement of other powerful thinkers. For instance, if one thinker realizes that superstition stems from unchecked traditions but his prejudice makes him eradicate the tradition system entirely, and while another thinker spots something beneficial in the same tradition system, then a third thinker approaches to eliminate what creates superstition while retaining the positives of traditions. And they manage to accomplish this by playing on collective sentiments of the society, just as many playwrights like Goethe and Shakespeare did.
One thing Social Reformers such as Gandhi understood was that it isn't the Government that makes a country, but the People. Basically, the heart of this Social Revolution isn't to 'Change Others', but to actually 'Redefine Yourself' and help others acquire the same. If you want others to stop being violent, then you wouldn't be violent yourself. If you want others to donate blood, then go do it yourself first. That is because your nation is simply a mirror of your inner reflection. You represent your nation, and the spirit of your culture can be seen from your eyes -- if you're overly aggressive and prejudiced, then that might be because you've dealt with it in your neck of the woods. You don't war with others because of their differing views, no matter how sick, but you embrace them and make them better. Gandhi knew that an eye for an eye never works when you're striving for peace, and that the only way to stop violence is to not be violent in your contention. Social Reformers don't wait for the Government to do something about their social problems. They take their social problems upon themselves, and create opportunities and capacity for the society to slowly and gradually improve via pure artistic and humanitarian methods. So before I can get to its involvement with Feminism and Sexism, let's give you a gist of my nation's background and why such a movement was required.
Unity Is Paramount
I'll make this as simple as possible.
In the beginning,there was nothing when there was no distinction between "science" and "magic" (it was actually referred to as "secrets of nature"), the bards, sages and scholars from all across the Bharatvarsha gathered together to pool in sacred knowledge from the far and wide, endless horizons. Some were sciences unheard of, some were stories of events that changed history, and everything was recited in songs, written in the most beautiful and sacred language of the time called Sanskrit. But as the knowledge exploded across several empires, the language itself degenerated and many could not read the scriptures. Then came the Brahmins, the most learned ones of the lot, and then came the wretched Caste System that divided the people. The Brahmins wanted power and stature, and they corrupted the Dharmic culture with a ruthless game of politics -- other classes were condemned as inferior, ruthless traditions such as human sacrifices were initiated, and the lesser classes (such as the Sudras) were regarded as "untouchable", denying them knowledge of sciences and religion, denying them worth in the society. Over time, however, some Kingdoms grew powerful, and many tried to abolish all these practices with sheer severity of law, but the Brahmins never gave up and they managed to infiltrate into the Royalist parties and established their Dominionist-Orthodox ideologies, and they did their very best to destroy any lines of "Reason" and make the game unfair. Some Sages like Gautam Buddh managed to escape and tried to return the scriptures to its former glory (Read: created Buddhism) so that the commoners could read them without knowing Sanskrit and regardless of their Caste, while some others from segregated Kingdoms enjoyed the lack of threshold of the orthodox. But others weren't so lucky.
Patriarchy was one of the biggest evils of the Caste System, where females were oppressed like nobody's business. While some Kingdoms had strict reign on what goes on in the world they build, they had no jurisdiction in segregated villages where orthodox was prevalent. A dark shadow of Misogyny and Ignorance spread over the common Hinduism, and being born as a female in those times meant "curse", both for the family and for the girl -- it was hell on earth with "Widow Sacrifice" this, and "New Born Milk and Glass package" that. I won't go into depths of how horrible the societies were, lest I make this post M Rated and gruesome. But rest assured, there was no savior -- no Kings or Prince Charming or Angels would come to their rescue, until...
...a Superhero appeared, disguised as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and he saw the wrongs of the society. He saw women burning at the pyres of their dead husbands, and he hated it. He tried to reason to the narrow minded, but his words fell on deaf ears. Once and many times he wished if all this could disappear, but his practicality won him owner and he knew just what would work -- a reform, the first of his kind. Pursuing his vocation as a Super Pandit, a scholar, he challenged the Orthodox by reviving the superpowers of the Vedant philosophy and did something incredibly impossible with the powers of Education, Practicality and Reason -- Uniting the diverse religions into one which we now call "Combined Hinduism" (imagine if Judaism, Christianity and Islam re-united), destroyed the Dominionist tendencies of Caste systems, put "Reason" back into Religions and turned it into a positive Humanitarian force, and abolished Sati and sexism, thereby saving thousands of women. He pledged then that no woman would suffer while he was alive, but people carried his spirit even after his death and the persistent shadow was finally lifted.
But that to paradise was long. One of the biggest weaknesses of Hindustan (as it was then called, and still is) was its diversity -- religions hating each other, kingdoms warring each other, genders oppressing each other, and politicians poking each other. It was pretty easy for the East India Company to simply walk in and take over (while I support Shivaji's badass battle against the Mughal oppression, his final blow was what made the empire weak and defenseless for foreign invasion), and because of the inner frailty the Hindustani rose and fell ceaselessly. They thought that they needed "Warriors" to take on the oppressive British rule. They thought they needed "Power" to beat a greater power. No matter how hard they fell, they never learned their lesson. Then, came the non-violent catalyst reformers.
"Ik Onkar Sat Nam"
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth.
One of the biggest problems with the commoners were their "beliefs". Like currently in America, back then the people fought over their religions, or whether a person was a believer or not. Sometimes Religion was a privilege for the rich, and sometimes contradictions caused clashes. Before the Belief system could turn political in nature, an enigmatic unnamed sage appeared at Shirdi. Nobody knew who he was, and nobody knew where he came from, except for the fact that he was poor as hell, he forgave people for hitting him with rocks before they even apologized, and he was the most humble man in the world. The weirdest thing was that he was neither Hindu, nor a Muslim, nor a Christian -- he was all of those at the same time. Nobody understood the man until a poor girl approached him, and each day she left to her family "enlightened" by his wisdom. When the word spread that the guy could do "Miracles" many folks from every religion, caste and belief approached the old man and placed their seemingly impossible problems before him.
<satire>
Man: "Baba (respectful term for "Old Man"), my son doesn't believe in Allah! I tried hitting him, but it doesn't work. What should I do?"
Baba: "Try not hitting him. Allah is loving, and it doesn't matter if the boy believes or not. Love the child and support his belief, guide him and don't hurt him, because Allah loves children."
</satire>
His words were few but wise, and he helped people solve their impossible problems in life. He challenged the orthodox and the cruel with questions that can only be answered if you have love in your heart. He then resolved religious conflict and established Pluralism, by knocking some sense into people that "if every religion's God created the universe, then obviously every God is one, right? So why fight?" He then proceeded to open the festival of Diwali for the rich and poor alike, and promoted social love. He was hailed as the legendary "Sai Baba" (aka, "Divine Old Man"), and became a teacher to both the religious and non-believers. By the time he was done and kicked the bucket, every individual, no matter what their beliefs or thoughts, embraced each other as brothers and sisters.
But the battle was far from over. While the spirit of unification was there and played a strong role in the Great Rebellion, the combined efforts of the Princely States turned futile -- the unification did not win, even with the badass feminine power of the legendary Rani of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai. Further rebellion was later divided between the rebels who argued what was the "better way" of getting the country back. Bombs? Fail. Coup de Tat? Fail. Threatening the government? Fail. Chaos? Fail. Taunting? Fail.
And then came Gandhi, who clearly understood that the people were kicking a wall and cursing at the pain in their toe. He realized that fighting fire with fire would only serve to burn his nation, and so he decided to do the opposite -- approach with love. With the spirit of unification as before, he stated that it's a sign of strength to not pull the trigger and still win the battle, and his philosophy stemmed from Hinduism, which he enforced with practical reason. All he did was march into the office and "ask", stating that millions of Indians with him at the time clearly won't take "no" for an answer -- and Freedom was won without pulling a trigger.
And just like Sai Baba and Raja Ram, Gandhi managed to influence humanity, not just the Indians but also Martin Luther King Jr., by redefining what it means to be human, not just politically but also Socially. The nation was founded on his philosophy, for the People and the Government, and his influence lead to easing poverty, expand women's rights, encouraged philanthropy, unify religions and build ethnic amity, end untouchability, and increase economic self-reliance. And that was all thanks to approaching the People, and not the Government, with love, because love, truth and understanding binds humanity into an unbreakable force, the power of which cannot be broken come what may.
Momentum of Social Reformers
Following Gandhi's success in establishing ethical philosophy, many artists, scientists, teachers, poets, businessmen and politicians followed in his footsteps to take that dream a step further. The unification of our diversity was our greatest strength, because when someone thought differently it benefited the entire nation. Social Reform had only begun, and it caused extremely positive impacts in every corner of the Indian civilization. The greatest Indian Poet, Rabindranath Tagore, unified spirituality with aesthetic naturalism, and his poetry reflected the wonders of human emotions and the glory of "One World" idea. Swami Vivekanand was a great rationalist; credited with the revival of Hinduism and integrating Religious Philosophy with Scientific Reason, he further promoted education, religious amity and human empathy. Inspired by many of these revolutionaries, many Indians took it upon themselves to promote similar philosophy to help their culture grow. One of them, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, is a Gujrati newspaper columnist, playwright and journalist Taarak Mehta, helped the masses look at our world from a different perspective (hence "reverse the glasses") and helped benefit from his various philosophies (such as abolish superstitions while retaining the sentiments of tradition, being a "better, pure-hearted human being", standing up for social injustices, etc.). Another being our beloved cartoonist R.K. Lakshman, who drew his comics from a common man's perspective when the Government refused to hear the commoners' voice. And, how could I forget, Chetan Bhagat -- a novelist and columnist who brought the nation's fallacies in plain sight, then proposed and encouraged the nation's youths to rise.
The power to change the world almost always resides in the pen of a common citizen, but the majority often think that it's not worth it, simply because the change is slow but steady and sure. If you still don't believe me when I say that the effects of progressive change and the power of love and empathy can triumph any problems and the efforts of Radicalism, look at the new Goverment at Libya. Then look at the successful reformers who did the impossible in India.
And why is that? It's because unlike America, and thanks to Social Reforms efforts, we are not divided due to needless conflicts of "Christian this" and "Atheist that", nor do we judge people based on their sex. We learned the alternative the hard way, but that doesn't mean America has to go through the same horrors as we did. We may be Men or Women, we may be Sikh, Jain or Hindu, but first and foremost we are a powerfully united force, we are Proud Indians, and we dream to change the world. And you can see that spirit in plain sight: The Anna Hazare movement when the guy went on hunger strike, the whole nation gathered together for Civil Disobedience as a single entity with a dream to eradicate political corruption once and for all, and our weapon was simply the love for our nation in our hearts. And I was there, waving the tri-color flag, and I witnessed my nation's united voice win over an impossible dream.
And there you have it. Elect a politician to do it, it takes days, he enjoys his luxuries for months, self-righteously talks things over for years, and just maybe he'll try fixing our primary concerns (by taking the easy way out, despite its long-term damaging effects). But when a poet lifts a pen on one day and looks out the window the next, he sees that the world has changed with every ink he transcribes. And that is the spirit of Social Reform, and its triumph in intellectual evolution. That is why I became an artist and poet.
But Social Reform can be powerful indeed, and when the voice of the people outweighs politics then even the Government would bend to our will. The war against Misogyny grew stronger by the day as the "controversial topic of Feminism" suddenly turned into a nation-wide concern, and Feminism itself grew in support over the years, a good thing indeed. However, the path itself was built on emotions, and no one knew the inherent consequences of the act. The Anti-Misogyny law was enacted due to the voice of the people, and what followed was something horrible that messed with the balance of equality, something apparently "unheard of" in America. I'll separate that topic into another post.
Following this thread, feel free to discuss how you'd like to participate in helping your nation's culture to evolve beyond the need for Goverment/Totalitarian intervention and become self-reliant. The future resides, not in crutch of politicians who screw up, but in the hands of the commoners who dare to dream and live. So let's get started with...
Sexual Inequality
Sexual inequality. What can I say about it? A primary concern in domestic / social, urban and rural, political and corporate environments, it leads misogyny wherever cultural values are only a virtue of selected few rather than one of universal acceptance. America (I say this because the majority of the Compendium are Americans) is currently dealing with this frustration, but I would like to point that a few select states in India -- in lines of industrial development, education and high cultural values -- have actually effectively dealt with it at a grand scale (it still exists, but only at orthodox and illiterate backgrounds, such as Rajasthan or slums anywhere). And, unlike what some of the Compendium members suggested, we didn't need totalitarian restrictions on "free speech" (which is almost never effective) or criminalizing sexism, mind you; it was something much more subtle, much more powerful and even more beneficial, progressive and liberal. It was Social Reform Movement.
The persistence of security has quadrupled in the last decade, mostly due to constant national security threat from Extremists. However, the Judiciary, while asserting public security and stability, can rarely do much to improve the "Public Life", especially since justice is blind and is influenced by flawed principles in power. The question is, must we rely on the Judiciary and Government to recognize injustices and, hence, correct them? America is a Representative Democracy, and it's time to put that power to test.
Shortcomings of Law
I suppose anyone from a Developed Nation would place support in strengthening "law" in areas where crime rates are higher, but depends on the level and method of restriction of power and rights which a nation can either be judged a Democracy, Communism, or Totalitarian -- after all, Judiciary exists for the stability of the nation. But how much can the law actually achieve in an active regulation? Allow me to describe this in a satirical tone.
Our laws currently are sufficient to provide free speech to the commoners and penalize those who threaten that stability, such as thieves or murderers, and yet ordinary people tend to "complain" that there's too much of "evil" going around while quietly awaiting the Government to do something about it. When patience wears thin, and they notice more "evils" being conducted, they suddenly have a reckless knee-jerk reaction, "There should be a law against this and that" as if it's so easy to pass a bill and change something without consequences. Some of the best of them study law and politics to become lawyers and politicians, and in the end do the same thing others before them did: constantly bicker self-righteously, while the public stays in the heat for too long. Then somebody gets a bright idea to "restrict" freedom of speech and action to reduce domestic abuse and hopefully solve all crimes. What do you get? (Note: I actually had friends named Sophia and Tim, and that was the actual dialog they once used)
Tim: "Hey, Sophia! What's wrong with your hair today?"
Sophia: "Dammit! You disgusting prick, I'll see you in court!"
So apparently everyone's being sent to prison one way or another, either for accidentally tripping over the stairs and damaging the walls, scratching you neighbor's brand new car, or simply inquiring about your ex-girlfriend's weird new hairdo, and what you call "Jail" has now become a vacation zone, the ticket's of which aren't available this summer. The only ones that usually don't find their way in those prisons are actual criminals -- those professional criminals who know the shortcomings of the law and are always capable of escaping, those who are mostly recognized as serial killers, organized criminals, human traffickers, drug dealers, organ thieves, etc. and slip in the shadow of commoners to do their business. These are the professionals who role their eyes when civilians bicker with the police and quietly do devious things while looking innocent in the face of the law. The best of predators always get away, leaving their preys to rot.
And hence my Psycho-Analyses of Psychopaths and similar potential predators, because in order to track and predict such perpetrators of crime there is heavy need to understand such minds beforehand lest we make fools of ourselves afterwards. We need to understand how they function, how they think, what classes of criminals have what patterns, where to get the next resources, what's the frequency of visits, how and what to prepare with, surveillance before the heist/murder, necessary bluffs and back ups, etc. (don't ask how I know all this). Hence why many law enforcement recruit criminal psychologists and profilers to make their task easier. And even then it's not enough, because with limits on law enforcement would render further limits on being able to establish control, and if the citizens merely notice the crime being committed and turn a blind eye, mumbling that "the government isn't reliable", it's simply doesn't help. And even if the citizens do responsibly inform beforehand of the offenses, there are times that even the police will be of no help, especially places beyond their jurisdiction, places law hasn't established fully, or even places where law exists but you're at the mercy of corruption. These are usually the places where you'll find an incredibly large number of human trafficking and organ thefts.
"Hey, my neighbor's being annoying. Why can't the government do something about it, while I'm too busy twiddling my thumb?"
"But Tushantin," you'd say, "surely Totalitarianism would a least get rid of domestic sexual and racial abuse?" Unfortunately, while it sounds like a good theory on paper, it's hardly practical or ethical. For one thing, Totalitarian would cause more harm than sexual and racial abuse, which our current culture and law manage to curb sufficiently anyway. Secondly, just because you force everyone to be vegetarians doesn't mean they're going to like it (it does reduce crime, but depends what you actually call "crime" anyway). They'll find ways to "sin" by eating a chicken or two, and you'll have more criminals in your hands, or perhaps more rebels who simply aren't pleased. So yeah, there goes your "Stability". While nations like Kazakhstan have managed to achieve this, doing the same at America would be destroying the very values the nation was founded upon.
(Note: There's a reason I posted that article regarding the Occupy movement; I actually sympathize with the Occupy protesters and whatever motivated their hatred, but if there's one thing the article got right was that, firstly, lack of leadership breaks them and, secondly, these mobs can suddenly turn violent at any given moment, beyond control. These two points may cause a severe impact, but they have no proper resolve or plan to achieve what they strive for).
Social Reform Movement
You might say that "every system has flaws" and that you'd help perfect it, but unfortunately, a Judiciary system can only do so much. And you probably think that there's simply no other alternative: "Law" is simply the only choice, right? Actually, there was always a second choice, an appropriate choice, and one that has succeeded time and time again, provided we have a proper, mature leadership -- one that served politically, but aimed at the society instead, and one lead by all that is good rather than "prejudiced Radicalism". While law handled the "tough guys" like kidnappers and wanted criminals, Social Reform Movements did unthinkable like end untouchability, establish "cultural ethics", abolished harmful orthodox traditions, unify religions, uniting science and spirituality, encouraged scientific and literary pursuits, and more importantly, end Sexual Inequality. And the movement didn't need to "force" individuals or societies long-term either, but simply establish "capacity" to help people judge between right or wrong and maintain a line of creative and empathetic negotiation within society. When schools were affordable only to the rich, Social Reforms educated the masses. When poverty denied Agency, Social Reforms gave it to them. When a damsel was in distress, Social Reforms turned up like a Superhero. Social Reforms was your friendly neighborhood Revolution, and created newer, better social order via education since intellectual and emotional development, and of course 'Liberalism', was its first priority.
Quote from: Wikipedia
Reformists' ideas are often grounded in liberalism, although they may be rooted in socialist (specifically, Social democratic) or religious concepts. Some rely on personal transformation; others rely on small collectives, such as Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel and the self sustaining village economy, as a mode of social change.
The reason this movement works is because, unlike an angry mob, it isn't a group of 'protesters', but a community of intellectuals who bring about change with activism, education, empathy, and literature, art, songs and poetry. Such a movement is always targeted first to the public to 'benefit' them rather than face 'against' them, and as such is always welcomed with open arms. It then enables the capacity to establish 'moral principles' for the society to follow, and these principles are social and virtuous rather than forceful. What makes such a movement powerful and 'pure' is that under the guidance of a strong and wise leadership, revolutionaries, innovators and artists, any and every negativity and prejudice in such a movement is diluted with the involvement of other powerful thinkers. For instance, if one thinker realizes that superstition stems from unchecked traditions but his prejudice makes him eradicate the tradition system entirely, and while another thinker spots something beneficial in the same tradition system, then a third thinker approaches to eliminate what creates superstition while retaining the positives of traditions. And they manage to accomplish this by playing on collective sentiments of the society, just as many playwrights like Goethe and Shakespeare did.
One thing Social Reformers such as Gandhi understood was that it isn't the Government that makes a country, but the People. Basically, the heart of this Social Revolution isn't to 'Change Others', but to actually 'Redefine Yourself' and help others acquire the same. If you want others to stop being violent, then you wouldn't be violent yourself. If you want others to donate blood, then go do it yourself first. That is because your nation is simply a mirror of your inner reflection. You represent your nation, and the spirit of your culture can be seen from your eyes -- if you're overly aggressive and prejudiced, then that might be because you've dealt with it in your neck of the woods. You don't war with others because of their differing views, no matter how sick, but you embrace them and make them better. Gandhi knew that an eye for an eye never works when you're striving for peace, and that the only way to stop violence is to not be violent in your contention. Social Reformers don't wait for the Government to do something about their social problems. They take their social problems upon themselves, and create opportunities and capacity for the society to slowly and gradually improve via pure artistic and humanitarian methods. So before I can get to its involvement with Feminism and Sexism, let's give you a gist of my nation's background and why such a movement was required.
Unity Is Paramount
I'll make this as simple as possible.
In the beginning,
Patriarchy was one of the biggest evils of the Caste System, where females were oppressed like nobody's business. While some Kingdoms had strict reign on what goes on in the world they build, they had no jurisdiction in segregated villages where orthodox was prevalent. A dark shadow of Misogyny and Ignorance spread over the common Hinduism, and being born as a female in those times meant "curse", both for the family and for the girl -- it was hell on earth with "Widow Sacrifice" this, and "New Born Milk and Glass package" that. I won't go into depths of how horrible the societies were, lest I make this post M Rated and gruesome. But rest assured, there was no savior -- no Kings or Prince Charming or Angels would come to their rescue, until...
...a Superhero appeared, disguised as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and he saw the wrongs of the society. He saw women burning at the pyres of their dead husbands, and he hated it. He tried to reason to the narrow minded, but his words fell on deaf ears. Once and many times he wished if all this could disappear, but his practicality won him owner and he knew just what would work -- a reform, the first of his kind. Pursuing his vocation as a Super Pandit, a scholar, he challenged the Orthodox by reviving the superpowers of the Vedant philosophy and did something incredibly impossible with the powers of Education, Practicality and Reason -- Uniting the diverse religions into one which we now call "Combined Hinduism" (imagine if Judaism, Christianity and Islam re-united), destroyed the Dominionist tendencies of Caste systems, put "Reason" back into Religions and turned it into a positive Humanitarian force, and abolished Sati and sexism, thereby saving thousands of women. He pledged then that no woman would suffer while he was alive, but people carried his spirit even after his death and the persistent shadow was finally lifted.
But that to paradise was long. One of the biggest weaknesses of Hindustan (as it was then called, and still is) was its diversity -- religions hating each other, kingdoms warring each other, genders oppressing each other, and politicians poking each other. It was pretty easy for the East India Company to simply walk in and take over (while I support Shivaji's badass battle against the Mughal oppression, his final blow was what made the empire weak and defenseless for foreign invasion), and because of the inner frailty the Hindustani rose and fell ceaselessly. They thought that they needed "Warriors" to take on the oppressive British rule. They thought they needed "Power" to beat a greater power. No matter how hard they fell, they never learned their lesson. Then, came the non-violent catalyst reformers.
"Ik Onkar Sat Nam"
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth.
One of the biggest problems with the commoners were their "beliefs". Like currently in America, back then the people fought over their religions, or whether a person was a believer or not. Sometimes Religion was a privilege for the rich, and sometimes contradictions caused clashes. Before the Belief system could turn political in nature, an enigmatic unnamed sage appeared at Shirdi. Nobody knew who he was, and nobody knew where he came from, except for the fact that he was poor as hell, he forgave people for hitting him with rocks before they even apologized, and he was the most humble man in the world. The weirdest thing was that he was neither Hindu, nor a Muslim, nor a Christian -- he was all of those at the same time. Nobody understood the man until a poor girl approached him, and each day she left to her family "enlightened" by his wisdom. When the word spread that the guy could do "Miracles" many folks from every religion, caste and belief approached the old man and placed their seemingly impossible problems before him.
<satire>
Man: "Baba (respectful term for "Old Man"), my son doesn't believe in Allah! I tried hitting him, but it doesn't work. What should I do?"
Baba: "Try not hitting him. Allah is loving, and it doesn't matter if the boy believes or not. Love the child and support his belief, guide him and don't hurt him, because Allah loves children."
</satire>
His words were few but wise, and he helped people solve their impossible problems in life. He challenged the orthodox and the cruel with questions that can only be answered if you have love in your heart. He then resolved religious conflict and established Pluralism, by knocking some sense into people that "if every religion's God created the universe, then obviously every God is one, right? So why fight?" He then proceeded to open the festival of Diwali for the rich and poor alike, and promoted social love. He was hailed as the legendary "Sai Baba" (aka, "Divine Old Man"), and became a teacher to both the religious and non-believers. By the time he was done and kicked the bucket, every individual, no matter what their beliefs or thoughts, embraced each other as brothers and sisters.
But the battle was far from over. While the spirit of unification was there and played a strong role in the Great Rebellion, the combined efforts of the Princely States turned futile -- the unification did not win, even with the badass feminine power of the legendary Rani of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai. Further rebellion was later divided between the rebels who argued what was the "better way" of getting the country back. Bombs? Fail. Coup de Tat? Fail. Threatening the government? Fail. Chaos? Fail. Taunting? Fail.
And then came Gandhi, who clearly understood that the people were kicking a wall and cursing at the pain in their toe. He realized that fighting fire with fire would only serve to burn his nation, and so he decided to do the opposite -- approach with love. With the spirit of unification as before, he stated that it's a sign of strength to not pull the trigger and still win the battle, and his philosophy stemmed from Hinduism, which he enforced with practical reason. All he did was march into the office and "ask", stating that millions of Indians with him at the time clearly won't take "no" for an answer -- and Freedom was won without pulling a trigger.
And just like Sai Baba and Raja Ram, Gandhi managed to influence humanity, not just the Indians but also Martin Luther King Jr., by redefining what it means to be human, not just politically but also Socially. The nation was founded on his philosophy, for the People and the Government, and his influence lead to easing poverty, expand women's rights, encouraged philanthropy, unify religions and build ethnic amity, end untouchability, and increase economic self-reliance. And that was all thanks to approaching the People, and not the Government, with love, because love, truth and understanding binds humanity into an unbreakable force, the power of which cannot be broken come what may.
Momentum of Social Reformers
Following Gandhi's success in establishing ethical philosophy, many artists, scientists, teachers, poets, businessmen and politicians followed in his footsteps to take that dream a step further. The unification of our diversity was our greatest strength, because when someone thought differently it benefited the entire nation. Social Reform had only begun, and it caused extremely positive impacts in every corner of the Indian civilization. The greatest Indian Poet, Rabindranath Tagore, unified spirituality with aesthetic naturalism, and his poetry reflected the wonders of human emotions and the glory of "One World" idea. Swami Vivekanand was a great rationalist; credited with the revival of Hinduism and integrating Religious Philosophy with Scientific Reason, he further promoted education, religious amity and human empathy. Inspired by many of these revolutionaries, many Indians took it upon themselves to promote similar philosophy to help their culture grow. One of them, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, is a Gujrati newspaper columnist, playwright and journalist Taarak Mehta, helped the masses look at our world from a different perspective (hence "reverse the glasses") and helped benefit from his various philosophies (such as abolish superstitions while retaining the sentiments of tradition, being a "better, pure-hearted human being", standing up for social injustices, etc.). Another being our beloved cartoonist R.K. Lakshman, who drew his comics from a common man's perspective when the Government refused to hear the commoners' voice. And, how could I forget, Chetan Bhagat -- a novelist and columnist who brought the nation's fallacies in plain sight, then proposed and encouraged the nation's youths to rise.
The power to change the world almost always resides in the pen of a common citizen, but the majority often think that it's not worth it, simply because the change is slow but steady and sure. If you still don't believe me when I say that the effects of progressive change and the power of love and empathy can triumph any problems and the efforts of Radicalism, look at the new Goverment at Libya. Then look at the successful reformers who did the impossible in India.
And why is that? It's because unlike America, and thanks to Social Reforms efforts, we are not divided due to needless conflicts of "Christian this" and "Atheist that", nor do we judge people based on their sex. We learned the alternative the hard way, but that doesn't mean America has to go through the same horrors as we did. We may be Men or Women, we may be Sikh, Jain or Hindu, but first and foremost we are a powerfully united force, we are Proud Indians, and we dream to change the world. And you can see that spirit in plain sight: The Anna Hazare movement when the guy went on hunger strike, the whole nation gathered together for Civil Disobedience as a single entity with a dream to eradicate political corruption once and for all, and our weapon was simply the love for our nation in our hearts. And I was there, waving the tri-color flag, and I witnessed my nation's united voice win over an impossible dream.
And there you have it. Elect a politician to do it, it takes days, he enjoys his luxuries for months, self-righteously talks things over for years, and just maybe he'll try fixing our primary concerns (by taking the easy way out, despite its long-term damaging effects). But when a poet lifts a pen on one day and looks out the window the next, he sees that the world has changed with every ink he transcribes. And that is the spirit of Social Reform, and its triumph in intellectual evolution. That is why I became an artist and poet.
But Social Reform can be powerful indeed, and when the voice of the people outweighs politics then even the Government would bend to our will. The war against Misogyny grew stronger by the day as the "controversial topic of Feminism" suddenly turned into a nation-wide concern, and Feminism itself grew in support over the years, a good thing indeed. However, the path itself was built on emotions, and no one knew the inherent consequences of the act. The Anti-Misogyny law was enacted due to the voice of the people, and what followed was something horrible that messed with the balance of equality, something apparently "unheard of" in America. I'll separate that topic into another post.
28
Dream Splash IV - Radical Dreamers [2011] / Arcmyst, the Shadow Emperor
« on: November 06, 2011, 02:25:48 pm »
Radical Dreamers itself encompassed a Fantasy / Spiritual / Heist setting, and a pretty well written one too! Horror and uncertainty was a prevalent theme as our thieves infiltrate a haunted mansion for an unstealable treasure, and on their way they encounter Goblins and Monsters of all kinds. And Demons. Lots and lots of Demons!
Two Extra Scenarios, however, deepened the mystery with more questions. One of them (my favorite), where Kid opens the Book of Death, has passages of demon Lilith and Magil referring to the "Shadow Hunters", the "Shadow Realm" where she belonged to, a the "Shadow Emperor". Another scenario, "Kid and the Sunflower", had an event where the Mandora Monster unleashed the devastating Shadow spell called "Phantom Break". She called for "Arcmyst, the Fallen Angel", her King, to bestow upon her demonic, Shadow magic to allow her destroy everything.
Though the scenarios were meant to be different, there was a fascinating link I noticed. What if "The Shadow Emperor" was none other than Arcmyst himself? If so, was he the embodiment and ruler of all spirits and demons? Was he so powerful that, by invoking his name, creatures are capable of wielding destructive magic that can annihilate everything in sight?
I once wrote a passage dedicated to this enigmatic force, trying to explore the depths of his influence in the Chrono Universe. Now, I simply felt like drawing him (it was a fun, quick doodle). Behold! The Emperor of Forever Zero!
P.S.: I was actually inspired by the wretched Duryodhan, from Mahabharat:
Two Extra Scenarios, however, deepened the mystery with more questions. One of them (my favorite), where Kid opens the Book of Death, has passages of demon Lilith and Magil referring to the "Shadow Hunters", the "Shadow Realm" where she belonged to, a the "Shadow Emperor". Another scenario, "Kid and the Sunflower", had an event where the Mandora Monster unleashed the devastating Shadow spell called "Phantom Break". She called for "Arcmyst, the Fallen Angel", her King, to bestow upon her demonic, Shadow magic to allow her destroy everything.
Though the scenarios were meant to be different, there was a fascinating link I noticed. What if "The Shadow Emperor" was none other than Arcmyst himself? If so, was he the embodiment and ruler of all spirits and demons? Was he so powerful that, by invoking his name, creatures are capable of wielding destructive magic that can annihilate everything in sight?
I once wrote a passage dedicated to this enigmatic force, trying to explore the depths of his influence in the Chrono Universe. Now, I simply felt like drawing him (it was a fun, quick doodle). Behold! The Emperor of Forever Zero!
P.S.: I was actually inspired by the wretched Duryodhan, from Mahabharat:
29
Polling / Would you buy Chrono merchandise?
« on: October 29, 2011, 12:27:25 pm »
Would you buy a community-made Chrono (or Doctor Who, while we're at it) merchandise, such as a Nu figurine or Epoch keychain? If yes, rev-up your imaginations and tell me: what kinda stuff are you lookin' for?
30
Fan Art / Another Webcomic
« on: October 26, 2011, 05:25:34 pm »
...from a dA artist, DerificWolf. 
Visit their website 'Life in Aggro' for more. Check em out below:
Lucca, you better not cross Sir Crono. You know what happens when Sir Crono gets mad.
Visit their website 'Life in Aggro' for more. Check em out below:Lucca, you better not cross Sir Crono. You know what happens when Sir Crono gets mad.