The Panther of the Lake

It's almost Halloween. On this occasion, I intended to repost an article by Alanna Ketler about what black cats actually symbolise and had set to translate it in French only to realise afterwards that I had already done so more than a year ago. I did have that impression of déjà vu, but the title of the article was different and so were the website and more recent publication date, hence a search on my blog returned no entry (the embedded search engine on Eklablog is not what I'd call efficient). Come on, you can tease me with this, I deserve it! Wasting hours on a job you've already done is what you call being off with the fairies or completely off radar — there's an awful lot more you could say, but please, don't.

On the spur of the moment, I was quite upset (mind you), then I must have changed a lot of late because instead of raising a tsunami in a teaspoon or indulging in some Calimero whinging (an ancient nemesis of mine), I chose to take it on with humour and without berating myself, I'm bouncing back with this original article instead to roll over Halloween's unhealthy spooky tales (as if the mainstream media didn't feed us with their own all year long).

Telepathy

My story is a quite unusual. Since the beginning of last summer, I got into the habit of spending time by the lake in my neighbourhood to feed ducks and coypus, observe herons and geese, while enjoying the peace and quiet and sunshine (whenever available) to practice meditation and earthing (stay tuned for an article on this topic very soon). This is where I met a black cat, which I've called Panther, who popped up out of the blue one day and meowed and rubbed against me and eventually spent the afternoon with me curled up on my towel by the water. And he did it again the next day. And the day after. And almost every day of the week. No matter what time. It's as there was some telepathy going on.

I think it's actually what happens, because two weeks ago, it had rained a lot and it was chilly. I wasn't sure whether I should stop by the lake on my way back from the physio, all the more since it was unlikely for the panther to be out in such foul weather. Then I felt some urge to take another route and there he was, sitting atop a post as if waiting for me. Meowing loudly, he leaped off his perch and followed me like a faithful dog.

Cuddle Therapy

The Panther is definitely not a stray, he does have owners (who seem to groom him well going by his healthy coat), but unlike most cats, he's very outgoing and in great need of company. I saw him stroking against every passer-by on his lake, playing with kids, and even cheering up some loners like me as if if could feel who needed the most the touch of his magic paw. A lady even joked that he must be a “cuddle therapist”.

Incidentally, it has been shown that cats, and particularly cat's purr, actually had therapeutic effects. In some countries such as Japan or Austria, they have created ”cat bars” where people can come and cuddle cats to release stress. Purr therapy is not a myth. You can even find CD recordings of cat purr for those who can't keep a pet at home. Though, in my opinion, there is more to the healing effect than just the purring.

Inspiration

It's funny how everyone seems to think he is my cat and compliments me on how lovely he is. We must look like we belong to each other. Which we don't. We have no ties of sorts, but we're bound by some kind of tenderness. Thanks to him, I now meditate on a regular basis, I take the time to do nothing, and I'm feeling so much better. I'm becoming more inspired, more tolerant and more positive.

And you know what: the panther is scared of fish! Not only does he steps back when an angler waves a fish under his nose (before carefully putting it back to the lake), he literally runs off whenever some carp leaps out like a dolphin. Luckily, there are no sharks nor piranhas in the lake — that is as far as I know. Oops!

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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Santa Teresa, Music of the Soul

Initially, Santa Teresa is a neighbourhood located on a hill in central Rio de Janeiro, and named after the eponymous Catholic convent dedicated to Santa Teresa de Avila. Unspoilt by imposing American-style modern buildings and the bling bling and cariocas stereotypes of the rich districts in the South of the city, eversince the military dictatorship (1964-1985), it has become the heartland of persecuted artists and intellectuals. EOB certainly fell under the charm of its residual rebellious bohemian spirit during the sabbatical year he spent in Brazil, a couple of years ago.

Soundscapes

Until now, EOB aka Ed O'Brien was only Radiohead's second guitarist, soundscape weaver and fulltime back-vocalist (an allusion to the much-touted hilarious “Eeeeedddd” meme of which he had no idea until recently — bless him). "Tree Fingers", the haunting instrumental track on Kid A, that was him. The Beatleish inspiration on "Karma Police" (OK Computer) too. And many more.

Served as an appetiser preluding the “imminent” release of his first long-promised long-awaited solo album, this new instrumental, "Santa Teresa" sounds like an ideal choice of a bridge with his work with Radiohead. Much more than mere ambient music (I don't like the “second-class” connotation of the word ambient as if it were meant to stop you from thinking), this track possesses some mystical quality which wraps and captivates you from the very first notes.

Created with a guitar and a wide range of pedal effects instead of synths, there is a little extra soul to it that you don't usually get from electronic music precisely because the achieved vibe does not rely solely on the machine, but on what radiates from the human and his intention. ” I was always drawn to sounds that didn’t sound like the guitar” told Ed in a recent interview.

Quantum Music

Every time you listen to "Santa Teresa", it's as if another layer of soul was added. It's like revisiting or unveiling things as you venture deeper into this both wondrous and eerie psychedelic dream world. It's troubling as the vibrations lead you further down into the depths of your being to loose stuff buried in your psyche or that you had chosen to ignore.

Or perhaps to some parallel world, a sanctuary or another dimension. Somewhat on the verge of a quantum leap!

Well, it's spacey in a good way because you don't end up disconnected, but peaceful and realigned with yourself. As if cleansed of all the surrounding negativity. To put it in a nutshell, it's like a soothing balm for the soul.

From my personal physical and emotional experience (that is only my opinion), this track actually feels like it has been tuned to 432hz rather that 440hz. As a reminder, the 432hz frequency is the reference point (A=432hz) to which the other notes will tune.

Where your ears won't hardly hear the difference, your bodies (physical, emotional, auric) will feel it. Whereas for some, it is pure myth (as for whatever challenges their conception and perception of the world), it is documented by studies which have shown that 432hz music produces the deepest physical and emotional healing because it naturally resonates with the frequency of our DNA and that of the universe. Unlike conventional 440hz music which creates disharmony in our cells and has detrimental effects on our health, behaviour, and consciousness.

Sound will be the medicine of the future.

Edgar Cayce

Flower of Life

British scientist and acoustics engineer John Stuart Reid has shown from cymatics (the quantum science which makes sound waves visible through vibrating water molecules or fine particles such as sand grains — and which is regarded as “pseudoscience” by Wikipedia, the biased encyclopedia) that 432hz frequency produces a triple Vesica Piscis shape, that is the intersection of two circles with the same radius, intersecting in such a way that the center of each circle lies on the perimeter of the other. A pattern which serves as a basis for most, if not all, the geometry of the universe.

From this pattern emerges the flower of life of sacred geometry representing the basic forms of time and space and which is found in many great sacred buildings across the world such as the Temple of Osiris in Egypt. As it goes beyond the scope of this article, I suggest you research the subject, starting with David Wilcock's books in which he admirably exposes and explains the breakthroughs of quantum physics and all their implications on human condition.

Incidentally, Ed O'Brien has a flower of life tattoed on the inside of his left forearm (related to the mystical, artistic Yin side of the body), practices meditation on a regular basis, and says he finds inspiration within nature and nature sounds (how comes, so do I!). Therefore my theory is not unreasonable. Now, only he can confirm or refute.

Cada dia, cada lua, cada noite
(Every day, every moon, every night)

"Olha O Ceu", Esmeraldas do Tempo (2001)

One thing is certain, this track is not only soothing, it is also deeply inspiring. Actually, it's amazing how my creativity has increased tenfold since it has been put online. Or was it the moon (a very influential star in my birth chart)?

Namaste,

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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How to Apply Moonlight Effects on Daylight Photos

Being an empath, during full moons my emotions tend to rise to the surface, making me edgy and so strained I usually cannot focus on anything. However, the energies of last Sunday's full moon inspired me loads of things including this tut made with GIMP which I'm gradually getting to grips with whenever inspiration strikes me.

Materials

• a contrasted scenery with a clear open sky
• GIMP 2.10 (free and open source for Linux/Windows/OSX)
• G'MIC 2.74 (if you're using GIMP for Linux/Windows)
• Moon picture

Instructions

1. Load a copy of your original in GIMP and resize if necessary.

2. Add new layer and fill with customised linear gradient using blue (#394f65) and white.

3. Duplicate gradient layer. Set blend modes to HSL Colour for the original and Multiply for the copy.

4. Merge visible layers.

5. Apply Colours - Shadows-Highlights to enhance shadows:

- Shadows = 72
- Shadows colour adjustment = 34
- Highlights = 0
- Highlights colour adjustment = 50
- White point adjustment = 0
- Radius= 100
- Compress = 50

6. Via Filters menu, apply G'MIC - Colours - Colour Presets:

- Category = Eric Ellerbrock
- Preset = Avalanche
- Strength = 56
- Hue = 12,6
- Saturation = - 28.7

7. Apply G'MIC - Details - Equalize Local Histogram:

- Strength = 51,9
- Other settings left as default

8. Apply G'MIC - Lights & Shadows - Light Glow:

- Density = 47,4
- Other settings left as default

9. Apply Colours - Hue-Saturation selecting blue colour to decrease luminosity (-22,3 %).

10. Copy-paste moon graphic as new layer. Resize to adjust to the main picture and arrange on the lighter area of the sky. Set blend mode to Hard light and lower opacity to 70%.

11. Merge visible layers and export as you desired file format.

NOTE: Right after step 8, I've smudged the darker areas of the sky to the right so as to colourise the overexposed spots and also retouched the light splashes on the cliff to darken them for a more even appearance.

For this second example (using a picture of a ruined tower in my home town), I have used many more steps and I won't give you setting details for each image having its own characteristics, you'll need to take these tuts as inspirational ground rather than follow them thoroughly (unless you want to train on my originals).

On a new layer, I have applied Render - Noise - Difference clouds filter and set blend mode to Dodge. On a second new layer, applied Autumn Change gradient (Overlay blend mode with 55% opacity) and its copy (Grain extract blend mode with 38% opacity). After merging visible layers, applied filters G'MIC - Colors - Color Blindness (Protanoptia) followed by G'MIC - Colors - Color Presets (Others - Cinematic) and G'MIC - Lights & Shadows - Pop Shadows (maximum strength). Applied Colours - Hue-Saturation twice. First to change global hue then to turn each basic colour to a blue hue. Ended up with more filters G'MIC - Colors - Mixer (YCbCr) and G'MIC - Colors - Simulate Film (Slide color - Fuji FP 100C).

Please, keep in mind these are only guidelines for the type of manipulations you'll have to apply to your pictures and of course, the values used here are only for the purpose of these particular examples as every picture is different. It's up to you to experiment and make full use of your creativity using my examples as a focal point.

May inspiration be with you!

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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Uranus through the Houses – Where’s Your Inner Rebel Hiding?

The following will complement the previous article on how to deal with the 5-month Uranus retrograde transit that began last August and should help you understand how you are impacted by Uranian energies. Since it is very unlikely that it's back on its initial position in your birth chart (unless you're over 80), it may be interesting, provided you have some basic knowledge in astrology, to look whether it makes easy contacts (sextile, trine) or hard contacts (square, opposition) to its original position in your horoscope. Which should contribute to raise your awareness of some aspects of yourself in the former case or add some strain in the second. Also, as previously mentioned, the house in your horoscope transited by Uranus retrograde should give you an hint of the area of your life in which your natural tendencies (which you'll discover below) will be reflected during this period. Of course, other factors are at play, but let's say you'll get the overall picture of what to expect. Please, feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Ey@el

Uranus moves retrograde in the roots second Zodiac sign of Taurus, between August 11, 2019 and Jan 10, 2020. The planet will stay here in this sign until 2026!

Uranus’ Generational Impact

Uranus moves slowly. It takes around seven years to move through a single sign of the zodiac which means that the effects of this icy gas giant are generational. So unless it’s one of your personal planets (such as the ruler of your rising sign for example — Ed.), Uranus’ influence (similarly to outer planets Pluto, Neptune, and Jupiter) is more sweeping, broader and far-reaching than, say, Mercury. So this last Uranus retrograde was less likely to scramble your travel plans and more likely to catalyze a cultural shift or usher in some sort of overarching technological breakthrough. You may not have felt its astrology personally, but it’s been there, working steadily in the collective background.

Uranus is progressive, original and revolutionary

Undiscovered until 1781, this is a planet that can’t be seen by the naked eye and was completely out of reach until the technology was invented to close the gap. Nearly 250 years ago, it demanded humanity to stretch itself beyond the realms of possibility, in order to make the unseen seen. And today it’s no different – this planet is known as the “Awakener” and its energy forges ahead, shatters illusions, constructs, belief systems, traditions, and basically anything that stands in the way of a bright new future.

It’s experimental, offbeat, and innovative: Willing to stand out from the crowd, whilst simultaneously serving the crowd. As the astrological ruler of Aquarius, those with this sun sign share the same unabashed yet fiercely community-minded spirit.

Read more...

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Fiery Soul

Ever heard of Viking rock? I hadn't until I came across this cool song used as background music for a video by Nouvelle Terre. Hel (1999-2004) is a Swedish Viking rock band singing about... Viking stories, all in their native tongue. The band's name is derived from the Norse goddess Hel akin to Persephone or Hecate from the Greek mythology. A humble, unassuming sharing to show that there is much more to Swedish music than Abba or Europe.

Ey@el

Eldsjäl

He laid down slowly so heavy with a cry stifled in his throat.
He thought he'd heard a voice in the chamber, but no one was there.
He filled his body with mead, his eyes went under,
To be reborn in a dream to the cheers of heroes.

There I burn without a glow, there I grow strong,
My coat of mail withstands blows and I never collapse.
Love of our homeland gives men their strength and courage,
Thanks to our dear folk fires still burn there.

In quiet darkness he waits, there where the moon shines,
In solitude he suffers pain, his heart feels cold as stone,
Thick blood drips from his hands, he collapses.
Flowers grow and flowers wither, hear heroes' lament.

There he burns without a glow, there he grows strong,
His coat of mail withstands blows and he never collapses.
Love of his homeland gives men their strength and courage,
Thanks to our dear folk fires still burn there.

His sorrow found peace in the ground, a hero's grave he made for himself,
The last song carried by the wind, whisper drowned in rain.
My long journey is now completed, my body buried,
Life given and life taken, hear heroes' lament.

There I burn without a glow, there I grow strong,
My coat of mail withstands blows and I never collapse.
Love of our homeland gives men their strength and courage,
Thanks to our dear folk fires still burn there.

There I burn without a glow, there I grow strong,
My coat of mail withstands blows and I never collapse.
Love of our homeland gives men their strength and courage,
Thanks to our dear folk fires still burn there.

© Hel, 1999

Original text by HEL translated from Swedish by KUBA

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