The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.
Last minute thing before I crash. Here's a review I wrote not too long ago for Anime Obsession on Now & Then, Here & There:
Wow, where to begin? This underappreciated series is one every anime fan should at least try once. Anything I type here would not portray how much I love this series and how much of an emotional impact it has on it’s viewers, so I’ll jump right into the meat of this review.
Plot Our story begins with our main character Shu on a walk home from Kendo class. He spots a girl sitting atop one of towns smoke stacks and climbs up one beside her to great her. She tells him her name is Lala Ru, a being from another world, and before she can go further they are both attacked by a woman and countless robots. They both then get whisked away to an alternate universe. Now, before I go further, the first episode is what it sounds like. Cliché, I know. But let me tell you it gets much better.
This new world they end up in is ruled by a vicious dictator known only as King Hamdo. This man is ruthless in his methods, willing to enlist children as soldiers, and torture and/or kill anyone who stands in his way. He wants Lala Ru captured because she has a pendant that withholds an entire reservoir of water, something Heliwood (the land/aircraft they live in) is severely lacking. In a twisted turn of events, Lala Ru’s pendant ends up disappearing and Shu becomes enlisted in Hamdo’s child army. There he meets Nabuca, a conflicted soldier who is willing to do anything to go back home. He cares for a little boy around the age of 5 named Boo, and used to be friends with a disturbed boy named Tabul, who favors Hamdo’s methods. At some points the plot does tend to drag, though the finale manages to deliver the emotional punch to the gut that, frankly, left me depressed for a week after. This series is one that builds the emotion bit by bit, until the very end, where all hell manages to break loose. By the end of this series I could barely keep track of how many main and side characters had died. And since I have to mention this somewhere: This show is not for the impressionable, young, or easily depressed. Believe me on this one. There is implied rape, attempted on-screen rape, violence, torture, violence and torture against children, slight nudity, and overall dark, mature themes. All of these themes of course, are portrayed in a negative light, though it does not make them any less shocking.
Animation Simplistic art is sometimes the best, and this show is a perfect example of this. Done in 1999, this show makes use of absolutely gorgeous backgrounds, including sunsets, sunrises, desert and rocky cliffs, that put some backgrounds of today to shame. Many of the characters have simple designs, which lend to very fluid animation. In a few instances the characters seem off model, but these are far and few in-between. Also, the simple model design lends more detail to the face and facial expressions, which to help make a scene in this series.
Music Both the ending and opening themes are memorable. The opening, which carries the same name as the series, has no lyrics, yet is an enjoyable tune, though it doesn’t lend itself to a re-listen more than 3 times. This of course though, depends on your personal taste. The ending theme is a soft, soothing lullaby that is probably meant to calm the viewer after the many horrific scenes this series includes. This one includes lyrics. The background music though, is forgettable. This series, on the other hand, does make good use of silence, not overwhelming a scene with robust music.
Voice Acting I watched this show subbed, mostly because I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me. Each seiyuu fit each role very well. The voice actors that did end up playing characters that meet their untimely demise enacted their roles perfectly. In some ways, I was sad I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me, mostly because I had read Dan Green (of Yu-gi-Oh! Fame) did the voice of my favorite character, Nabuca, which scares me. I can only pray to god he didn’t screw it up.
Overall I believe that any anime fan out there should at least give this show a try. Some people will be turned off right away, while others may burn out part way through. But for those of you who enjoyed Grave of the Fireflies or Saikano, this should be the next thing on your list. Though don’t watch it right after watching GOTF or Saikano, you will kill yourself if you do. It’s a show that will leave an impression on you weeks after your done, something anime rarely seems to do anymore. This is one that has become a personal favorite of mine and one that managed to make me cry by the end. I’d suggest it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, provided that they know what to expect.
Currently Listening to: Aozora (Piano Version) by Lia, AIR OST
Well, I have to say I'm possibly the worst author ever.
I tend to get really excited about a story idea and then do practically every but write it! Ah, bloody hell. This is what I worked on from 2 am last night to 4 in the morning:
Credit goes to the Deviant Art stock artists:
*PersephoneStock- for the crying girl and the girl with her arms spread wide *fetishfaerie- for the girl with the ribbon tied across her eyes *Encaged-Tsubasa-hime (me)- Manipulation :D
Well got back from vacation yesterday. It was fun, though Katie tended to be quite...hmmm...interesting... I'm to tired to write everything up, but I highly suggest Fort Wilderness if you're a Christian looking for a good family camp.
So the last couple of days have eaten away at my time in front of my blog, and all the craziness that goes along with it. And I finally managed to get my hands on a copy of the Special Edition Eclipse, and I have to say, the first chapter of Breaking Dawn is great! :3 I can't wait 'til August. Speaking of which, the local Borders is gonna have a midnight party for the release. Oh, I am so there!
I also got my hands on a couple of other things, including an art book for Fullmetal Alchemist, and I have to say Hiromu Arakawa is a goddess with a paintbrush! One of her pictures of Ed and Al actually made me stop and gawk and the impressive brush work and detail. The amount of control it takes to be able to do the outlining with a very thin brush, that would reveal a jittery hand in an instant, is just mind blowing! I actually thought she'd colored it with prismas, the shadowing and highlights was so smooth! Seriously, I want to try acrylics myself now. It's also neat to see the character design sheets for the FMA video game (I love this kinda stuff). Definitely worth the $20. I mean when my dad (who frankly doesn't really like the anime style) is impressed, something like this, it's just- wow!
Well it's almost 12 here (the blog post time doesn't match, apparently) so I need to get to sleep.
But before I go (put your headphones in kiddies, this isn't appropriate for the parents):
Yes, I know how it's wrong I know why it's wrong but for some reason, I can't stop laughing!
Well, in about a week, my friend Katie and I will be going up north with my family to a family camp (for some reason that entire sentence didn't make sense to me. Maybe you'll be more lucky in deciphering it). It'll be interesting, considering it is a Christian camp, and seeing as how the majority of the time we tend to act homoerotic (KATIE CONTROL YOURSELF!). I almost feel bad for anyone who sees that. Almost.
One week in a camper. Sharing the same bed. Oh god, the things people will hear during the night.
Also, note to Katie who I know reads this, you can make comments on posts without an account. XP I set it up that way, specificly for you, so be greatful dammmit! Now excuse me while I consider commiting sepukkuu. (heaven forbid if the spelling is wrong, you get the idea)
Well, that party was a complete and utter bust. Note to self: A good setup does not guarantee a good time. Seriously, no one wanted to do ANYTHING! The DJ had to pull out an iPod for the dance contest prize to get people to participate. Other than that there was just lots of drama, and being the oblivious fool that I am, ignored most of it.
I still have a pair of the cheap sunglasses ment to be party gifts that say 'Best Grad Party Ever~' on 'em. Excuse me while I get a sharpie, I have some editing to do.
Yeah, I put off RSVPing to it, so I'll have do that tomorrow. Gomen, Sophie! I have to say though, so many people are insane about graduation. All I have to say is...
It always helps whenever I'm working on a writing piece, that I draw out any original characters before hand. Seana is one of my main characters for a piece I'm working on (and will hopefully get published @ some point) and it's taken me, literally forever, to get my vision on paper. I tell you, rain does things to your brain! I highly doubt I'll turn any of the story into a webmanga, though I might do a oneshot if I get bored over the summer. The sketches are more just for my own referance while writing. In the future I may be posting some of the chapters up, but I know it'll be a while before that happens. In fact, once I'm done here I'm going to go back and make some major edits to the first chapter.
Also after the Graduation party, I got my grad gifts from my mom. 2 sketch pads and binders to hold all the art in them. Oh yeah, best gifts for my art addiction.
Never knew that the world cared so much about an 8th grade graduation, or at least our school. The morning classes were replaced by a breakfast for the students and their parents. Then it was onto practice for the ceremony. That lasted for about an hour and a half. I'm never good at handling long events. I happen to get really bored, really fast. I start picking at my nails to relieve my inane boredom. They now look they got chomped on by a lizard with pointy teeth. Afterwards, we just hung out outside until our parents came and picked us up.
I'm going back later tonight for the actual ceremony and the dance afterwards. It should be interesting.
Well I gotta finish fixing my dress (straps were way to loose, revealing way too much) and then take a shower. Before I go though, after I finished watching Now & Then, Here & There I went AMV hunting and I'll leave you with a few of my favorites:
The second one was my first exposure to The Cranberries and "Zombie" Oh, and obviously, major spoilers for NT, HT! :3
Well the storms seem to be gone, but we still have rain. Lots of rain. And flash flooding. So much for that trip to the beach. Well, end of year trip will be to the bowling alley. Joy.
Now excuse me, I'm gonna go drown myself in the ditch (it's definatly deep enough for that).
'Nother tornado warning this afternoon, so I spent most of the day sleeping in the basement, while the dogs tried to hide (quietly thank God) on mom's lap. The forecast says that we'll probably have the same situation tomorrow. I'll be ready in my swimsuit after the torrential rains to take a quick dip in the ditch out back. Freaking thing is nearly a lake now.
So remember how I was upset about the weather before? Yeah, I take it back. Today was probably the STRANGEST weather I have ever encountered in my life (so far anyways).
As I got on the bus after school today, the sky had gotten really dark, kinda charcoal grey, and over the school speakers they'd announced to the staff and faculty that we were under a tornado warning (there had already been a watch around noon'ish). Stepping outside only reaffirmed that fact; the local tornado sirens were at their peak. The entire bus ride home people kept making jokes about who's house was gonna get hit. I ignored them, got off the bus, and in my obliviousness, didn't realize my mom wasn't home... I get in and the alarm she has in her room is going off, the dogs are freaking out, and I panicing, unsure of what to do. I took both them downstairs (where they nearly drove me crazy) and flicked on the TV. Within a matter of minutes the tornados were out on the lake. We're still under a tornado watch as I type this, but the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and apparently all is supposedly right with the world.
But not for long... MUWAHAHAHAH!!!!
Anywho, as any female on the ART&R forums knows, I recently said yes to one of my friends who asked me out. We're SUPPOSED to go on our first date tonight (through lots of deception of the parents, lol) but apparently my dad and mom were planning on going to see Sex & The City and have stay back with my sister and baby sit the little devil. Damn! So it's either "okay but make sure to take your sister to your movie and we'll go see this" or "no you should stay home and just baby sit". *bangs head against desk*
Well you read it right. I'm sick. Nothing too serious at the moment, but just to be sure, I've been choking down cough drops for the last ten minutes in hopes that my throat doesn't cave in and my head doesn't explode. Sure I've had worse headaches, but come ON! 3 days left and I have a freaking cold!?! Not to mention the stupid weather up here. I know Wisconsin tends to have stupid weather (and especially cold too) but it was nearly 50 today and wet and rainy. In freaking JUNE! What the hell!? I'm supposed to be enjoying my last couple of days trapped in the hell hole know as my school, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, but instead I'm stuck in a pair of jeans and a heavy sweatshirt.
...
DAMN YOU MOTHER NATURE!!!!!
Well, I'm gonna go take some cold medicine, eat, take a shower and try and get some rest. Maybe I can manage to nip this in the bud before it gets worse.
