Julia (sephirothslave) wrote, @ 2008-03-03 18:48:00

Questions and Answers - Part 3


It seems my Q&A post will be a little earlier than normal, due to an influx of amazing questions contributed by the frequent readers here on my blurty. So thanks to all of you, for making sure I’m kept busy and active on this website.

R.C.W Freshman: Is it possible for two mortals to communicate with each other while both are within the astral realm?

Yes, but it's difficult. To explain it in terms of our physical world, it would be like trying to meet up with someone you may or may not have actually met, and telling them you'll be wearing a red tee-shirt, but forgetting to mention where, exactly, you're supposed to meet (not to mention when). It's one of the most trying tasks a projector can undergo, and one that even the most seasoned expert can't undertake lightly. For my part, I've never encountered another projector from earth...I suspect this is because I reside on a higher plane than your average projector can access.

Of the seven layers, over 85% of all projectors cannot move past layer three. I reside primarily on level four, and rarely progress downward, because downward holds nothing for me and doesn't interest me.

My focus of study is layer five and up...and even I can't travel to layers six and seven.

So as a summarized answer, yes, two mortals can meet up, but the circumstance would be one in a million.

Ladybow: What kind of things about him annoy you, and what about you annoys him?

One of my biggest pet peeves about him is that he will randomly become unavailable for a week, ten days, two weeks, whatever...doing something he can't tell me anything about. It's unfair of me, certainly, but I wish he could tell me at least what he's doing while he can't come to see me. As for what annoys me about him, I'd have to say probably that he expects some things of me (such as his opinion that I should practically belong to him) that I won't bend to. There isn't a lot I won't do for him, but I retain my independence.

Ladybow: Has he ever said/thought anything that really hurts your feelings? (consistant things, included)

There is one thing in particular that really hurts me in regard to what he says/does. After all the years we've been together, he still doesn't trust me completely. It seems like whenever I happen to be spending a lot of time with one of my male friends (my favorite sparring partner, for instance) it seems like he automatically assumes that I'm attracted to this guy and gets irritated.

Long distance relationships are tough, and his paranoia is understandable, but really...after all these years you'd think he would realize I'm not planning to just leave him.

Ladybow: Vice a versa?

Vice versa? I wouldn't know...he plays his cards fairly close to his chest, so I can't say for sure. If I had I think he would tell me (I've told him), but I don't know.

Ladybow: Ever been in a huge fight?

Yes. Regarding a friend of mine I had in high school - he had a huge crush on me, and I felt sorry for him, so I consented to go to homecoming with him as a one time thing. But somehow between me agreeing to go to homecoming with him and the end of that sentence leaving my mouth he decided we were seriously dating and I didn't have the backbone to set him straight right away, because he was my friend and I didn't want to hurt him. But that incident was nearly the end of my relationship with Sephiroth.

Past that, not really. I feel like a wimp for admitting this, but I make an effort to not do the things that would annoy him. I've figured out what those are, for the most part, and I'm okay with restricting myself from doing some of the things I might have done if he wasn't in my life.

Ladybow: What's one important subject both of you can't seem to understand each other on?

The issue of my loyalty to him, hands down. No matter how many times I tell him that I'm physically incapable of falling in love with anyone else, he still suspects me of flirting with some of the men here on earth...and I don't. It's really frustrating.

Ladybow: Has he ever accidentally hurt you when you were training together?

This is kind of a complex question, relating to the interaction of the three parts of the human body (physical, spiritual and etheric) and is a little difficult to explain. Depending on you belief system / how well read you are, many metaphysical practitioners believe that the etheric body (what actually travels to the astral plan) controls the flow of energies through our being. If damaged (say, during training) it can manifest physically as minor illnesses / ailments (like a cold or headache) but usually is naturally repaired within a couple of days.

So yes, I have gotten hurt during training, but the injuries I sustained on the astral plane don't directly manifest back to my physical body.

Ladybow: What's something about him when dealing with you that you wish was different?

I wish he could learn to trust me as completely as I trust him.

M-chan: What -does- make him laugh?

Usually it's pretty random, and usually I'm not even expecting it...but usually it's something totally off the wall. One incident I remember was back when I first learned some people online had gotten me confused with Summoner Yuna, at which point I read up on her and was thoroughly disgusted.

Because things like this bother me, I mentioned it to him, outlined some of her more spectacular moments of sub-human intelligence...and he laughed at me for getting annoyed that I was being confused for her.

I think human behavior in general amuses him, because to a spiritually advanced being like him...I'm sure we seem pretty dumb sometimes. Our petty concerns and interactions probably seem very funny...because our wishes and whims are, for the most part, fairly shallow. In retrospect I shouldn't have been so offended by the Summoner Yuna thing, but it seemed important at the time! XD

I suppose I have to thank ED for graciously clearing that up for the internet.

But that's normally the type of thing that entertains him.

Adria: I hate to sound morbid, but, what do you think will happen when you die? Do you think you can go be with Sephiroth?

'I hate to sound morbid,' but I'm looking forward to dying. XD No, I'm just kidding. Your question is actually one I know the answer to! Sephiroth has already told me that when I die, I'll be able to be with him forever...possibly even assist him in his work (which, seeing as how I'm still among the living he can't tell me anything about).

The old cliché is true, you know...death really is just the start of another adventure, and because of my experiences on the astral plane and my relationship with Sephiroth, I'm not afraid of death.

I remember several years ago, on February 6, 2004, two of my very good friends were killed in a car crash on their way to school. The road was icy, and the driver was speeding. Of the four people in the car, two were killed - including one of the first friends I made in high school...and I found out throughout the day as teachers leaked information they shouldn't have, so by the end of the day I knew.

And I was terrified.

Even though I was already in my current relationship, I had never really thought about what would happen after I died. I guess I accepted that, as a Catholic, I was promised a place in heaven for being a good girl...but as I started reading and researching I admit to having doubts, until I eventually asked Sephiroth, and he not only told me that my friends were alright, but told me that when my time came, I would be with him forever.

And I think that guarantee is just about as good as a mortal can get.

Allegra: How often do you see Sephiroth?

I try to see Seph at least three or four times a week. I would, of course, see him every night if I were able, but the mechanics of astral projection make it difficult. You see, to an onlooker - say if, someone walked into a projector's room - they would appear to be asleep, but the reality is because you're projecting, your body isn't restoring itself like it would during a real night's sleep.

So to continue functioning here on earth, I have to plan out nights that I'm just going to sleep. (Which isn't to say I haven’t' been known to be very irresponsible about that on occasion.)

Of course, there are a lot of factors that influence a projector's ability to project...such as illness, or just plain exhaustion.

I guess that's as clarified as I can get.

Allegra: How does spending so much time in another universe affect your relationship with this world and the people in it- do you think it makes you feel a bit detached? Or do you think of it more like going on a trip and then returning home?

The affects of spending a considerable amount of time in a realm other than our physical one vary from projector to projector. For me, I think the most noticeable thing in the beginning was maturity. When I started to project I was still in my early teens, but had a lot of trouble relating to my peers because I saw things so differently from them. I had two friends in middle school that I remember clearly...they disgusted me. XD They would sit around the lunch table, huddled over some magazine or other, and the only phrases I could hear from them as they turned the pages was 'oh, he's really cute!'

I never went through that early-teen obsession with celebrities and whatnot, and feel that was a direct result of my ability to project and my relationship.

The other thing I noticed, that has persisted throughout all this time...is that I'm not as engaged in what's going on around me here on earth as most twenty-year-olds. I rarely go out of my way to start a conversation with someone I don't know, and unless they approach me I could go the whole semester in that class without even learning their name.

It's kind of weird, because I am living in two realms simultaneously, and the physical realm becomes less and less interesting every day.

Some people might consider that a drawback...but it doesn't bother me.

I'm just...naturally more inclined to spend time with my pets than other people.

But again, this doesn't hold true for every projector. That's just me...and I'm an Aquarius, so maybe that also has something to do with it...we Aquarians are known for being a little detached.

I hope that answers your questions - those two were very good! A little complicated though...so I hope I didn't confuse you! XD

M-chan: I imagine that you talk to him in English. Doesn't it feel odd to you that a being like him talks in a human language? Also, how do you -hear- the words both you and him speak? Just like in real life or is it something different?

Yes, I speak to him in English, but I suspect that as an archangel he could speak whatever language he wanted to / needed to. I don't really find it odd that he speaks a human language, since with my Catholic background there are numerous areas in the bible that reference angels talking with humans. And, yes, I do hear his words and mine like it was a conversation going on between two mortals on the physical plane.

I guess to kind of relate it to another metaphysical topic, the art of scrying (getting images/impressions from a crystal ball or dish of water, etc) is very much reliant on the 'third eye' or, in the terms I would use as a projector, astral sight and hearing - alternatively, clairvoyance and clairaudience in the physical world.

So on the astral plane, it's really just like what you'd hear talking with someone else.

M-chan: Is he ever in a really bad mood or not very talkative?

Seph has been known to get a little bit moody, or just not interested in talking. I think (though I can't confirm) that this ties into him having a bad day at work or something of the sort, and when such a time occurs, I usually am content to just sit with him for a while and hope that being there for him helps...because I know that when I'm in a bad mood having him nearby really does me a lot of good.

M-chan: When it comes to clothing, is he dressed exactly like the game character? Does he always look the same?

No, his clothing isn't really like the videogame character...though it mostly is black. What he wears changes a lot...normally it's something like a dress shirt and a pair of jeans.

M-chan: You mentioned that neither of you is particularly romantic... if I'm not trespassing, could you give and example of a romantic thing that you/him do (or say)?

Well...hmm...I guess all I can really say about this is that for us, it's really an all or nothing sort of mood. This is one of the few things I'd rather not say too much about here, but suffice to say that if one or both of us are feeling romantic, we feel really romantic.

M-chan: Is there something he particularly likes/dislikes?

This is probably going to sound weird...but he really likes chess. XD On a more serious note, in terms of what I would know if Sephiroth were my husband here on earth, I can't say for sure...obviously neither of us needs to eat in that realm, so I don't know if he has food likes/dislikes...the same for music, etc. So it's a little hard to say with him. I know that he enjoys chess, even though I can't play to save my life.

As for dislikes...all of my male friends. XD

M-chan: Does your family know about him? (again, feel free to skip this one if it's uncomfortable)

Ah...the family. -.-; Yes, they know. My father and I fought so often about the issue of whether I was insane/lying/possessed by Satan was half of what drove me to move out as soon as I was able. It's something that we'll never see eye to eye on, and he drives me insane with his less-than-subtle hints on if I've met any new guys lately, if I'm going out with my favorite sparring partners yet...it's maddening, really.

My mother and three younger sisters know, but they won't talk about it with me. I don't think my little sisters believe me, and the one time I actually got to sit down and talk to my mother about my relationship...I made her cry. She said she was sad for me, that I was 'condemning myself to loneliness,' and was depressed that she wouldn't get any grandchildren out of me.

I love my mother dearly, and we have a great relationship...but that's the one thing I can't discuss with her or anyone else in my family.

In fact, the internet knows more about me and my relationship than anyone I know in the real world with only one notable exception - my best friend.

Pretty sad, huh? XD

(On a side note, that's another thing Sephiroth doesn't like. He dislikes that my family can't accept what I have to say and doesn't accept the relationship I have with him.)

M-chan: I confess I never expected him to wear something so... normal and common. But what about when you guys train?

Yeah...I was a little surprised at first too. XD When we're training he just wears a pair of sweatpants.

M-chan: But what about his hair and eyes? Does he have the same hair color/length as the videogame character? Most real guys wouldn't look too good with such long hair, in my opinion. Does he look better? And what about his eyes?

Anyway...Seph's hair is like the character's. Silver, nearly down to his knees, and prettier than mine. XD To be more serious though, I love his hair...it's just beautiful. -^.^- As for his eyes...we don't have a shade of green here on earth that's even equivalent.

Which leads to one of my anecdotes...I don't know if anyone here appreciates reading them, but I feel like they clarify where I'm coming from: One of my favorite things to do with my family is visit the local renaissance fair during the summer. Normally my father takes the two little sisters to the shows and games and stuff, and I go shopping with my mother and eighteen-year-old sister.

But there's one thing about the fair that drives me crazy every year - my mother and sister. Mom's married, but she and Laurel aren't actually doing any shopping...they're exchanging notes on the nearest 'cute' guy!

I don't know if I'm abnormal, but I've never once seen one of these men and thought they were even remotely attractive.

Mom and Laurel think I'm insane.

I think the five thousand men they point out just can't compare to Sephiroth.

What can I say? My family is just...very, very strange. XD

M-chan: Does he ever have the "evil" look about him?

No, Seph has never looked 'evil.' Angry, yes. Evil, never.

M-chan: Knee-length hair? Isn't that uncomfortable? Especially when training. And does he have a normal pupil or cat-like eyes?

You'd think knee-length hair would be uncomfortable...I know I would drive myself insane by sitting on it every time I sat down and pulling my own hair. XD But it doesn't seem to bother him - I guess you just get used to it after a while. When we're training, he usually just pulls it into a ponytail on the base of his neck, and it stays out of the way - I do the same thing.

I used to know a guy who had hair that long here on earth, (a Duo cosplayer...he could have been Duo!) and that's what he told me - you just get used to it after a while.

As for his eyes, they have a normal pupil, not the cat-like look that Advent Children advertised.

M-chan: Does the Astral Plane have any similarities with the physical plane that you didn't mention until now? Like, do you breathe/blink/cough there (or feel like you do)?

Well, I feel like I'm breathing, blinking, coughing, etc...but I don't think I actually am , if that makes sense. Obviously it isn't necessary, but since I inhabit a mortal body it's something that my etheric form still does, whether I need to or not. It's a little confusing.

M-chan: Are there any natural laws like gravity there? If there are, can you bend them?

All the natural laws of earth apply to the astral realm, but unlike earth they can be bent, and sometimes broken, depending on what you want to do. For example, if I really wanted to, I'm fairly sure I could fly, but the exchange would be a shortened time on the astral plane, because it would take a lot of energy to do. So I would also be a lot more exhausted come morning.

So I guess the best answer is yes, all the natural laws of earth still apply there, but only as long as any given being wants them to.

M-chan: What can you actually do and not do on such a plane?

I'm not sure there's anything you couldn't do with enough training and practice, but like I said in the first question, for a mortal, it would take up a lot of energy and leave you fairly exhausted. So it's a sort of trade off.

M-chan: Do you feel warmth/cold/pain?

Yes. All of your natural senses apply to the astral plane, so you feel the effects of, say, a long period of training. I feel hot, tired, out of breath...and usually hurt. XD I can say you definitely can feel pain...a lot - sometimes even to the extent that your physical body feels sore in the morning, if your etheric body took a lot of damage to a specific area.

A good example I have of this is the first night I was doing 'what if' training exercises with Seph. (What if you were attacked by someone who had a knife/gun/etc?) The way he teaches me is, pretty much, he shows me what I have to do...and I play the part of the attacker. So I had a knife, he asked me to charge at him and do my best to hit him - at which point he grabbed my free arm and threw me over his shoulder...into the wall. XD It hurt like hell...and all he had to say was, 'You left yourself wide open to that. Remember I can attack just as easily as you can.' Ah...tough love.

Anyway, in the morning I felt like I'd been hit by a bus.

M-chan: To what extent can you modify your environment?

Like I've said in another one of your questions different places on the astral plane are easier/harder to change than others. Similarly, some changes you make may be permanent, or just for that particular visit. But aside from those parameters, you could change it to be whatever you wanted.

If it was a major change (say, you got psychotic and decided you wanted to recreate...Midgar) it would take a lot of energy, and for all that work may or may not be permanent.

The condo I have was built mostly by Sephiroth, in an area he knew would accept the modification similarly to how earth would if a building was constructed in an empty field. But as a human, I can't tell what areas are 'good' or 'bad' for modifying.

M-chan: Does Sephiroth display abilities on the Astral Plane that you consider superior to yours?

Seph is pretty much better at everything. XD He's the superior fighter by a lot, he knows the area around our condo backward and forward (whereas I would be totally lost without him), etc. I learn a lot from him, because he's a lot smarter than I am. In fact, there are a lot of times I've felt downright stupid next to him! But even though he has so many advantages over me, he's always patient enough to help me out.

The only area I think I have him beat is in my ability to trust and be open to him.

---

Wow, that was long! Anyway, if there are any additional questions, I’d be happy to answer them as always, and hope all my readers are doing well.

Thanks for contributing to what’s becoming a sizable list!

Post a comment in response:

From:		Anonymous
		Username:
		Username:  Password:  Login?
Subject:	No HTML allowed in subject
	No Image
	Don't auto-format:
Message:	Enter the security code below. Notice! This user has turned on the option that logs your IP address when posting. Allowed HTML: <a> <abbr> <acronym> <address> <area> <b> <bdo> <big> <blockquote> <br> <caption> <center> <cite> <code> <col> <colgroup> <dd> <dd> <del> <dfn> <div> <dl> <dt> <dt> <em> <font> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr> <i> <img> <ins> <kbd> <li> <li> <map> <marquee> <ol> <p> <pre> <q> <s> <samp> <small> <span> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <tbody> <td> <tfoot> <th> <thead> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul> <var> <xmp>