Being Anti-Virgo in a Virgo World
A new voice joins the team!
Shelby here! Everyone please welcome a new guest writer, Reilly! Reilly is one of my (and Lizzy’s!) friends here in Columbus whom I met through Lush. My favorite thing about Reilly ever is, after my very first day of work, Reilly asked if I wanted to go to David’s Tea with her. It was so casual and nonchalant but it was so sweet and so Reilly of her to take another transplant like yourself and be like “Yeah, we’re going to David’s Tea, I’m not letting you be anti-social.” So thanks, Reilly, for being rad through and through.
Hello to all who cared to read! My name is Reilly. I am 25 years old, a transplant to Ohio via Pennsylvania, and I do not know what I want to do with my life. I have worked in various customer service and sales jobs over the last ten years but still haven't found one that sticks out as a career. Many would say I have the “gift of the gab”. Maybe that’s why I am choosing to venture into writing about my opinions and experiences? Another outlet for my constantly roaming mind!
When the pandemic started, I took inventory of what I was doing with my spare time. I was not doing much. I was achieving only the bare minimum. I spent a lot of time in my 600 square foot apartment alone, watching television and doing laundry. I knew my depression would peak if I didn’t make a change. I started taking virtual yoga and strength training classes multiple times a week. Going to the nearest park to walk for miles never felt so good. I picked up and finished a few of the books that had been sitting on my shelf for years. I took the time to regain my self-esteem and reconfigure my perception of my own self-worth. I also got to shop for lots of new clothes online! After the clothes arrived, I organized my closet by color AND sleeve length. This was during the Virgo season of 2020.
When you hear someone blurt out that they are a Virgo during an ice breaker at your new job, what do you associate with that? For myself it’s, “Oh, this person has their shit together and acts like an adult.”. Most people would likely describe that as the perfect way to live life. Think of the peacefulness that comes with going to bed and knowing exactly what you are facing the next day. What. A. Thought.
I am a Capricorn. A realist. The person who loves to play Devil’s Advocate. I have probably not just watched, but been obsessed with whatever reality television show you’re talking about. I probably do not want to hang out with you unless I can guarantee I will be home before the 11 o’clock news. I am materialistic and not afraid to tell you about the new pair of shoes I just bought. You cannot change me.
The world is crazy and sometimes we just need to let ourselves be enveloped by it. You have to be able to admit when you forgot a birthday. You have to cancel plans or just don’t show up to said plans. Structure, organization, and practicality are not for everyone. A quick click of the lock button on your phone to check the date is all some people need to get by.
Here are some prominent non-Virgo moments from my life:
The search bar will be how I find an email in my inbox containing over 30,000 emails.
I bought a day planner from Target a few years ago and used it for one week. I then proceeded to carry it around in my purse for the whole year.
The only calendar that exists in my apartment is a Halloween Advent calendar that I bought 3 months early and hung up on my fridge.
I double booked myself with “hangouts” with two guys on the same night. They were brothers who lived in the same house. (This is so chaotic. I can’t be the only person in the world this has happened to, right?)
One of my favorite sayings is “There is always one thing you won’t be perfect at.” At least I have Virgo season every year to give me a chance to figure life out before it completely falls apart.
Shit We’re Loving: WATCH
Reilly’s Pick (through Shelby): What We Do In the Shadows on Hulu
Shelby here—my dumbass forgot to ask Reilly what she’s been watching lately but since I know she’s a fan of WWDITS, and since Zack and I have just started watching it (ready to start the latest season!), What We Do In the Shadows tv show is our SWL: Watch. What does one even say about this show (and, for that matter, the OG movie as well)? It’s hours of socially awkward moments that slowly, but surely, hammer into your brain your undying love for these undead. It’s beyond funny, Harvey/Guillermo lowkey/highkey cute with his sweaters, and Natasha/Nadja is… wow. 🥵
Show Your Support: Native Land Digital
We are on stolen land. You and I, right here, right now, are on land that was never ours to take. Yet, many don’t know this. Even less care. But learning—and acknowledging—is half the battle and Native Land Digital aims to have everyone take that first step. Native Land Digital is a free, online tool to learn of the original Indigenous territories in a specific area. The project, which started in 2015 as Native-Land.ca, strives to “create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources” like their comprehensive and interactive map and the Territory Acknowledgement Guide.
Land is sacred and, as Native Land Digital stresses, it is not easy to draw lines that divide land into chunks that delineate who “owns” a different part of it. In reality, land is “not something to be exploited and ‘owned,’ but something to be honored and treasured.” To honor the sacredness of the spaces we’ve built our lives on, the spaces we often take for granted, we acknowledge and extend our hearts to the land’s original owners and to Mother Earth herself, for bearing the weight of humanity.
Shelby and Lizzy acknowledge the Kaskaskia, Myaamia, and Hopewell land they live on. Shelby also acknowledges the Shawandasse Tula people and their land.
Sydney acknowledges the Munseen Lenape and Wappinger land she lives on.
Aimée acknowledges the Merrick land she lives on.
Kayla acknowledges the Kiikaapoi, Jumanos, Wichita, and Tawakoni land she lives on.
Blaze acknowledges the Ramaytush, Ohlone, and Muwekma land she lives on.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
Say hi to our new voices and celebrate the whole OTF team!
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy:
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