We managed to get out for our walk today a little earlier than usual. When we started out, I actually grumbled to Karl that I didn’t see any clouds in the sky that might make for some interesting photos. Nothing like looking a gift horse in the mouth, huh? But as we walked, the sky seemingly burst into flames and produced a sunset of epic unexpected proportions. So many people saw it and so many appreciated it, that it makes me wonder if it was a harbinger.
Just before sitting down to write this tonight, I logged onto Facebook. There had to be five or six different postings by friends of mine who are not friends with each other sharing photos of tonight’s breathtaking sunset. If people were anywhere near a window or simply outside for any reason, they couldn’t miss it.
If it were a harbinger, though, what might it signify? I’m not sure.
Hope?
Danger?
Dragon Swooping In – Photo: L. Weikel
Quiet
It’s been quiet lately. OK, quiet in a circus-like manner. But what I’m noticing now is that we’re entering a new phase. A phase in which we, as a country, need to be extraordinarily vigilant because desperation is setting in.
Aha. Yes. That’s what it is. The sunset this evening was the equivalent of a flashing red danger sign. We’re being asked to sit up and watch what’s going on around us. It’s essential that we pay attention to the details. Notice the lengths some people are willing to go in order to retain power.
I have a feeling we’re going to be witnessing some unprecedented gyrations by certain people in the very near future. There are apparently no boundaries that won’t be crossed. No arms too small to be twisted. No debasement of democracy too crass not to at least be given a try.
Photo: L. Weikel
Desperation
As desperation sets in and fires are lit, it’ll be important for us to maintain our perspective. Sometimes the entire view and understanding of a situation changes completely when we just step back a few steps and move our gaze just 90 degrees. Quite suddenly, everything can return to the mundane.
It may not be the prettiest picture. But sometimes mundane with a tad of cloudy is just the ticket that’ll fly us right into our future. Safely. Lovingly. Protectively. And without burning us up. Or is it more accurately ‘burning us down?’
The view just 90 degrees away from all those red sunsets. Photo: L. Weikel
I wish I could figure out how to take great photos of the moon (with my phone) once the sky has darkened to the tones and shades that waver between deepest navy and just-shy-of-black. While I’ve managed to capture the waxing crescent moon over the past few days while the sky sported a Mars-like hue, I’ve met with decidedly less success once all vestiges of sunlight disappeared. And so it is, I’m sharing yet another moon shot or two with you.
I took the photo above with the simple desire to show how much the crescent had grown in just two days. Of course, this growth is inexorable. It happens every day, every week, every month without fail. Why I’m so taken with its observation at the moment escapes me.
Maybe it’s because I am feeling caught between the tug of realizing just how profound the change has been to so much of our lives in the past year, while also feeling stuck in limbo or a never-ending Mobius strip of repeating insanity. (OK, maybe that’s a little dark and dire. But some days I do ‘go there.’)
My point is that I’ve been reveling in the moon’s reflection of the constancy of change.
Woefully inadequate attempt – Photo: L. Weikel
Different Moods
I love the photos of the moon that manage to be in focus, capturing her beauty as she starts to ‘show.’ But then, every time I catch a glimpse of her after darkness has settled, my heart swells even more. I wish only to convey the awe that fills me when I witness Grandmother Moon’s sickle of golden light, supported by her companions of these last many months, Jupiter and Saturn.
And so I dance around, my feet clad only in socks, trying to cajole the phone’s camera to focus just right and reflect the beauty before my eyes. Brr. My reward is cold feet and frustration. But the sense of the night lives within me, even if I don’t quite know what to make of the utterly different mood that’s conveyed.
Unease
I’m not even sure what I’m writing about tonight. The moon, the vagaries of my iPhone’s camera, slow and almost imperceptible change, or a sense that nothing will ever be what it was again. Which of course it won’t be – but in a profound way; and sooner than we know.
Whoosh, what a blast of chilliness blew into our area last night! While I haven’t seen or felt any yet myself, a coating of flurries was due to arrive sometime this evening. And in spite of an urge on both Karl’s and my part urging us to forego bundling up and venturing out, we pushed through. We did it, and it was the highlight of our evening. Hence, I’m launching into an old refrain: when you’re feeling glum or defeated or overwhelmed with the state of the world, take a walk.
Yes, the air was crisp. Tonight was the first time this season we had to bundle up and break out our neck gators. Aaaah – made of Turtle Fur, I must admit, I adore how soft and warm they are. They make all the difference when contemplating braving the elements. Keeping your neck warm is essential.
The Real Good Stuff
But enough of my late fall dressing tips. What was really important for us over the past two nights of walking was the gloriousness of the night sky. First, the sliver of a moon last night, which became noticeably larger and brighter crescent in the passage of just one evening.
As you can see, I managed a lovely shot of that tiniest of new moons last night – dangling enticingly in the burnt orange sky.
While tonight, although she was dramatically brighter and a noticeably more pronounced waxing crescent, I couldn’t for the life of me get a good shot of her. I did try; and I could share them with you. But nah. They didn’t do her justice.
Vast Beauty of the Night – Photo: L. Weikel
Starry Cloudy Night
So I turned my attention away from the setting moon and onto the clouds parting directly above, revealing a thick blanket of glitterati.
I’ll confess: Karl and I had both been in a bit of a foul mood as we cajoled each other into taking our evening constitutional. It’s helpful, as always, when Spartacus gets wind that we’re “going to take a walk-y.” His enthusiasm is sometimes the only thing that drags or guilts us into setting out – especially when it starts getting cold out.
But we did tonight. Thank goodness.
The spiraling crisis of the pandemic as it starts to devastate the Midwest and Southwest, as it starts to raise its ugly head again here on the East coast, is sobering. If we’re paying attention, we can see the irrefutable proof that gathering with anyone beyond our own household for Thanksgiving or the Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza holidays (not to mention New Years) could result in rampant community spread, hospitalization, and potential death.
We walked. We reveled in the recollection and appreciation of just how precious our lives are in this moment. Gazing upon the growing young moon and boundless stars has that effect on most of us. But it’s easy to forget. It’s easy to talk ourselves into staying home, hunkering down, and ducking for cover.
But I promise you. There’s still plenty of time to cuddle and cocoon upon your return. But there’s no substitute for a dip into the vastness of Mother Nature to remind us that life is fleeting. It’s healthy to expand our horizons and remember just how precious these moments are.
It’s been a while, it feels, since I posted a photo of something extraordinary that’s appeared in the sky. So tonight I want to share with you an amazing creature that appeared before our eyes about a week ago. A veritable rainbow beast.
I originally thought that the dearth in cloud photos was a result of my walking schedule being thrown into disarray since the election. But actually, now that I look at the ‘health’ app that came installed in my iPhone, I see that I’m only walking a little less recently.
It’s not that Karl and I are walking less. The culprit is the end of Daylight Savings Time.
Yes, I’ve managed to capture a couple of cool images of stars and trees reaching to the heavens; in fact, now that I think of it, I got a pretty great one just tonight of the sweet sliver of new waxing moon starting to make its appearance in the western sky. I’ll have to include it either in this post or tomorrow night’s post.
Mythical Cloud Dog
Rainbow beast? Mythical cloud dog? I’m not sure what this creature reminds me of – maybe because it’s a hybrid of whimsical possibilities. But I can tell you that when we saw this take form before our eyes, I had to pull the car off the road so I could capture it.
I think it looks like a type of dog – an Afghan – with a rainbow snout. Then again, it also reminds me of something I think I remember from one of the Star Wars movies. And the rainbow itself – could easily be a stinger or rapier of some kind. It looks fierce – but surely being pierced by a rainbow would somehow result in healing rather than harm?
Or…does its rainbow face remind you of Big Bird?
A Good Omen
We actually were on our way to a Count Every Vote rally when this creature materialized in the sky before us. We took it as a good sign.
And from the looks of things, I’d say our interpretation held fast.
A little closer view of the Rainbow Beast – Photo: L. Weikel
Wild winds and driving rain galloped through our area this evening, heralding a cold front that will give us our first taste of the incoming late fall/early winter season. No, not snow – at least so far as I can tell from The Weather Channel. But by Wednesday we’re only supposed to reach a high of 41 – with a low of 24 degrees! Brr!
When the temperatures drop precipitously, I find myself wanting to curl up in a blanket with a good book and my beloved beasts cuddled up beside me. I’m also a little unsettled by the sleepiness that overtakes me when the wind howls and the glider gets blown off the porch.
It’s almost as if my processors just need to shut down for a bit. Or maybe it’s that I need to be unplugged and allowed to re-set.
I’m Not Alone
I was sitting on the couch earlier and heard a god-awful snoring. Mind you, I miss Sheila incredibly much – and she was the worst of the worst. Her snoring would definitely have warranted, had she been human, some sort of intervention, perhaps a C-Pap machine. But alas, it’s been almost two full months since she’s been gone and it wasn’t until I heard the massive snoring behind my head that I realized just how quiet our house has become in the cacophonous sleeping department.
No, it was Precious. She was deeply asleep and clearly snuggled in for the night.
I made a short video clip of her sonorous slumber and also snagged a couple shots of her blissful face in repose.
She had it right. Sleep. Deep sleep.
Plant Those Seeds?
I hope you gave yourselves the gift of at least devoting a few minutes over this weekend to reflecting on the transformation and creations you want to be a part of as we move forward. There’s a lot going on.
I planted some seeds today; tried something new. Made a commitment and followed through with it – created a container I’ve been wanting to offer for a few months.
As I take my first tentative steps forward, I’ll be writing about it here. Soon. And offering it on a wider scale as I establish my foundations. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the courageous ‘early-adopters.’
In the meantime, at the moment at least, I’m going to follow Precious’s cue, catch some zzzs, pull the plug and re-set.
Mystic Art Medicine Oracle by Cher Lyn – “Creation”
Creation
As I wrote in last night’s post, when I chose some cards on our behalf from the Mystic Art Medicine Oracle deck, I was intrigued by the appearance (yet again) of the Transformation card. The concept of this card has been riding with us for at least five months or so. Only this time Transformation was the top or ‘main’ card – indicating, I surmise, that we are in the thick of it. We’re no longer calling in the transformation of our perception, of our world, of our reality. We’re living it. Or rather, as the ‘foundational’ card of this pick, Creation, would indicate, we’re creating it.
I deliberately chose to share ‘the rest of the story,’ as it were, with you tonight for a couple of reasons. For one, the post would’ve been too long had I included what I want to write this evening. For another thing, with the power of the new moon that just occurred minutes ago (as I write this) to both fully release the old and serve as fecund opportunity to plant something new, I thought we might benefit from focusing our attention full-on to the power of Creation tonight.
Given all that we’re experiencing in the United States right now, especially with respect to the election results (and what was created as a result of the exercise of our sacred right and responsibility to vote), I got chills reading the words of Cher Lyn for this card:
Creation ~ “Medicine Baby”
The boy king’s heart gives love a chance.
Innocence is the wind in the butterfly’s dance
Bridging rainbow colors to bless and align
With Intent…an anticipatory design
Pause for a moment…imagine
Our New Creation…Divine.
Cher Lyn
“The image shown here from “Medicine Baby” is symbolic of the male spark in Creation. The innocence of the male is needed for recognizing the feminine in her wisdom, co-creating balance and healing. This unity brings peace back to Creation on Earth. He is decorated with crown jewels that ordain him as the chosen one who sends golden heart energy into the center of Creation. He is of royal indigenous bloodline and uses ancient alchemy to co-create with the goddesses of the Four Directions and Elements to heal the hearts on Earth. His butterfly wings are the colors of the rainbow and emanate from his chakras. The butterfly is a powerful symbol of change, moving from land, to cocoon, into finally a beautiful winged butterfly, the ultimate transformation.
Everything has an order of being within the infinite cycle of life. Indigenous cultures knew the ways of nature and Earth wisdom to sustain their lives in a good way. They knew how to heal naturally using the ways of the Land. They had seers and dreamers who could predict the future and warn them to safety.
It seems the further you wander from your innate unified connection with the Earth and God, the emptier you feel. You then strive to fill this emptiness with ‘material things,’ which only buries you into deeper feelings of disconnection. When electronics and entertainment distract with the illusion that they make life more interesting, it’s a warning that you have given your power away. Keeping you from what otherwise could be an extraordinary life. Nature is powerful beyond your imagination. When humans and nature come together working co-creatively, gifts far beyond your wildest dreams will unveil.
Creation medicine card has come to help you heal your relationship with yourself, the Earth and all of Creation. Essentially in asking, your inner-wisdom will offer you a way to live in a less complex and distracting world. Let go of any diversions that are draining your life force. Create more powerfully with the infinite world within you.” (emphasis added)
It’s Time
While I am the first to caution that we exercise care and vigilance as we move forward following the outcome of this election, there is also a sense of emergence in the air. It’s time for us to move forward, and it behooves us to do so with all due speed and deliberation.
The cacophony of discord may persist for a while, and I doubt it will ever recede completely, but the tide has turned. Our perceptions have shifted and transformed. We are continuing to evolve. We are ready, willing, and actually able now to create the vision of a country and world where we work together for the good of all, including – indeed, of paramount importance – our Mother Earth.
Hold the vision of the Butterfly as we bring in this new, passionate energy. I wonder what we will discover has come to fruition when we reflect upon the full moon in Scorpio, which will occur six months from now?
Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Cards by Cher Lyn – “Transformation”
Old Ways
As I mentioned last night, the new moon will happen tomorrow night (technically at 12:07 a.m. Sunday morning for those of us on the east coast of the United States). There’s a lot of stuff ‘closing up’ and coming to an end, on scales personal, local, national, and global. If you glance around (or look within), you may recognize old ways of thinking and being, old ways of doing and believing that just don’t fit into our present reality anymore.
The time of the new moon is when we finally let go of those last vestiges of whatever it is we know we need (and often want) to finally excise from our life. As a result, it’s also when we dangle a bit in a limbo of not knowing, of emptiness. It’s the time of the Dark Moon.
The time of the Dark Moon is when the sun and the moon are perfectly aligned (together, on the same side of the Earth), creating a situation in which the moon is not in a position to reflect any of the sun’s light. It ‘goes dark.’ This time of the Dark Moon, as it is called, is a most fertile and abundant time. It is in the dark, moist, fecund soil of the new moon that we plant the seeds of what we want to manifest in our lives in the coming days, weeks, months, or even years.
Obviously, every seed we plant at the time of a new moon is not going to ripen and achieve its fullness in two weeks. The cycle of what you plant at this new moon may take an entire month, three months, a cycle of an entire year or perhaps even longer to come to fruition. Every project or intention has its own unique cycle. It is possible, however, to coordinate with the natural rhythms of Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, and Father Sun.
New Moon Watchwords
Most of us are still going through some major transitions, including the challenge of navigating and hopefully keeping ourselves safe from the exploding Covid-19 infections. I don’t know that any of us can kick back and relax at this particular point in our evolution. We’re still in the thick of a lot.
So I decided to choose some cards for us from our trusty Mystic Art Medicine Oracle. Sitting with the deck and shuffling it, I blew into the cards my question for us: What concepts should we keep in mind as we plant our new seeds this weekend?
Transformation/Creation
The primary card I chose was Transformation. This card, this concept, has been shadowing us for a while now. It was underneath (the ‘foundation’ card) back on the night of October 21st – giving context to and laying the foundation for the primary card of Perseverance.
Transformation – “Egyptian Magic”
“ (…) All things form and transform within the mysterious cycles of birth, life, and death. Instead of fearing the darkness you can bless it, learn from it, and embrace it. It is both your humanness and your light. The shadow you fear is powerless without the interpretation of your beliefs, thoughts, and desires. The power of Transformation lies in your ability to find the light within the shadow and make the connection, infusing focus on its light quality instead of the darkness.
Everything you think, feel, and do creates your lessons in the world you live in. Inside you great intelligence, wisdom, and love are ever present. It is the beliefs you have been taught that are the hindering factor here. Let the fire in your heart inspire you for Transformation. Perfecting your character and at the same time helping you let go while allowing any pain, sorrow, or difficulty to just be there. Allow the alchemical change to unfold and evolve you in its own time as you journey through your world with the power of intentions.
The Transformation card suggests that you be in touch with both your shadow side and your spiritual side. True Transformation can only happen in connection with your heart. Setting in motion authentic spiritual alchemy you will see a change in you, like base metal into gold. Essentially shifting your whole perspective.” (emphasis added)
But it actually made its first appearance in another deck – The Ocean Oracle, by Susan Marte – on the night of July 10th of this year. The top or main card from that deck was Flow (Stingray), with Hidden Gifts (Jellyfish) and Transformation (Sea Glass) forming the foundation of that oracular message as well.
So. What are the chances that Transformation would form the foundation of two substantial ‘picks’ I made, months apart, from two separate decks?
What Does It Mean
We’ve had Transformation stalking us since July – and now, on the eve of a new moon in the passionate, life/death/rebirth transformational sign of Scorpio, it takes center stage. We are on the cusp of transforming all our lives, as well as the life of our country and quite possibly the world.
I’m going to leave you tonight with the words that speak to me most powerfully from the Transformation card, which I quoted above. And while I will include below the image of the Creation card, which was the foundational card of this ‘pick’ for us, I will hold off on writing about it until tomorrow. It feels important that we really sit with the ‘Scorpionic’ aspects of this Transformation card and ponder precisely what it has been asking us each to discern within our own lives: what aspects of our lives have run their course, what old ways need to fall by the wayside, and what ideas or rays of light need to be given the opportunity to germinate now.
What within each of us needs to transform from base metal into gold?
Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Cards by Cher Lyn – “Creation”
I just realized that about fifteen minutes from when I’m writing this, it’s going to be Friday the 13th. Normally, I embrace the 13th of anything – and I certainly do not ascribe any ill-fated inclinations to the number. As a matter of fact, I’ve considered the 13th to be a fortunate number in my own life. It is historically associated with women and the moon, and best yet, my eldest son was born on the 13th, albeit not a Friday. That said, when I saw that tomorrow is Friday the 13th, my first thought was, “Ugh oh.”
Let’s not forget: it may be November, but it’s still 2020. I don’t think there’s been much of anything this year that’s not had a little bit of “ugh oh” associated with it. But the next several days are going to be particularly intense.
Jupiter Conjunct Pluto
In fact, one astrological aspect that occurred today and that’s impacting all of us is Jupiter conjuncting Pluto. This is an aspect that occurs every 13 years. It’s generally associated with big death or major (Jupiter) transformation (Pluto).
The unique specialness that we’ve come to know as 2020 brought us the tremendously lovely (eye roll) opportunity to experience this conjunction three times within seven months. Why? Because both planets went retrograde this year right around when they were aspecting each other in Capricorn.
That means that Jupiter and Pluto were conjunct (meaning occupying the same degree and sign at the same time) on April 4, 2020. It may be recalled, that’s right around when the pandemic started exploding in New York.
Both Pluto and Jupiter then stationed (appeared to ‘stop’) and went retrograde (an optical illusion that makes a planet appear to be going backwards in its usual orbit), Pluto at the end of April and then Jupiter in early May. This caused the two planets to meet up with each other and become conjunct again – on June 30th. This coincided with another blip in the coronavirus spread.
And today, we just had the third conjunction of the two planets, as they both are moving forward again and have, once again, caught up with each other. Sad to report, but the pandemic is reaching crisis proportions here. Just today, I believe there were something like 158,000+ new positive cases. That’s more than 10,000 more cases today than yesterday. And hospitalizations and deaths are increasing as well, although they are, as always, ‘lagging’ indicators. (Because people don’t usually get hospitalized and rarely die the same day they’re diagnosed with Covid-19. That takes some time.)
On the Bright Side
We’ll be experiencing a new moon early Sunday morning (late Saturday evening for those on the west coast), so we might want to think about planting some fresh intentions geared toward keeping ourselves, our families, and everyone we come into contact with safer. It feels especially important to set such intentions this weekend because the next two weeks will encompass Thanksgiving. Remember: short term sacrifice for long-term gain.
There are other planetary aspects occurring over the next few days that could portend additional likelihood of volatility, rage, and acting out. Given that tomorrow is Friday the 13th, then, it might behoove all of us to be mindful of everything that’s going on right now and just chill out.
We didn’t get a chance to walk today because every time we thought about setting out, it started to drizzle. Here’s hoping we get to walk tomorrow. Stay well, everyone.
Today, of course, was the 11th day of November. 11/11. A day of portals, doorways, openings in time and space.
A day doesn’t go by that I don’t contemplate – if every so briefly – how our eldest son, Karl, facing the myriad array of portals on that fateful evening of 11/11/11 at 11:11 p.m., decided on an unconscious level that all those doorways to utterly new experiences beckoning to him were simply too enticing.
Timing and circumstances.
A New Perspective
I’ve always been aware that Karl died on Veterans Day. He didn’t serve in any of the armed forces, so I never sensed any particular connection between his death and the celebration of this national holiday.
This year, however, my attention was drawn to the fact that Veterans’ Day used to be called Armistice Day. Somewhere deep in my memory banks I’m sure I knew this; surely I learned it in a high school history class. But the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 – five years before I was born – and in the ‘70s, it seems like there was a lot more focus on either the here and now or the future, and much less on the past. In the ‘70s, World War I seemed a distant memory, eclipsed by the fact that World War II proved it was not, in fact, the ‘War to End All Wars,’ and both the Korean War and Vietnam shunted WWI even further down the memory hole.
Perhaps because of the pandemic we’re experiencing and the coordination between Armistice Day and the Spanish Flu of 1918, Armistice Day has been catching my attention more this year. Even when our Covid-19 was just taking root here and around the world, in the first three months of 2020, I remember reading about the dangers of a ‘second wave.’
Second Wave
Of course, back in March many in our country were (and still are) in denial that a pandemic is raging through our country. The thought that a ‘second wave,’ exponentially greater than the first could hit us in the fall of 2020 and winter of 2021, was pretty well ignored. But I remember reading stories at the time about Armistice Day – November 11th, 1918 – and how people gathered in great throngs throughout the country, mostly without masks, to celebrate the cessation of fighting. Shortly after this great celebration, the pandemic spread like wildfire, killing more than had died in the war itself.
It was actually only this very morning that I realized that Armistice Day was established because the agreement to cease fire between the warring nations in WWI was formalized at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In fact, one article I read this morning even suggested that it was at the 11th minute of the 11th hour.
I didn’t realize the significance of all of those 11s in the establishment of Armistice Day.
One definition given for the word armistice is: An agreement for the cessation of active hostilities between two or more belligerents. (www.brittanica.com)
This calls to mind the significance of all the 11s. The confluence of all these portals created an opportunity for the world to work together, to walk through a doorway to new ways of working together and creating a better world.
And yet…those portals also opened up the citizens of the world to the spread of a deadly contagion. Why? A big reason was a reluctance to wear masks, as if the call to do so was some sort of oppression.
Natural portal – Photo: L. Weikel
More Reflection
So much of what I’m writing right now is just pouring out of my fingertips and demanding greater reflection.
There is something to the concept of thresholds being created (or at least represented) by the number 11 and the opportunities or perils, depending upon one’s perspective, that await discovery ‘on the other side.’
Perhaps I should have started writing this particular post a bit earlier this evening. Maybe I’ll engage in further contemplation in the days to come. All I know is, I feel like there’s something bigger right now for us to be looking at and perhaps learning from history.
Are we capable of moving through the portals available to us, calling a ceasefire to the insanity we’ve endured for the past four years (or more), and choosing to embrace a new vision of a future of cooperation?
I’m keeping it light tonight. Light and short. Given my post from last night and my delusions of the stink ‘not being that bad,’ I’ve paid the price wrought by my pungent pooch all day.
I don’t know if I was just so tired last night that I persuaded myself to believe Spartacus hadn’t received a ‘direct hit’ by the visiting skunk or what, but wow – I walked into our living room this morning and, umm, I definitely could tell that Spartacus had hung out there last night.
Even though I did whip up some of the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/mild detergent concoction last night and washed him cursorily, I got the distinct impression that I’d not done enough. So Spart and I did a deep dive this morning, as can be seen. Tomorrow I’m going to give this stuff a try – based on the recommendation of a friend whose baby, Augie, has also probably seen his share of the wrong end of skunk.
There’s something here in the living room that’s harboring the stench. I think it might be an errant pillow hiding on me, for I’ve done three loads of wash, tackling every single blanket he may have even thought about cuddling in last night, yet still something…SOMETHING…is emitting a mighty waft.
I’m tired.
I’m also finding the stench of poor losers and those who lie and cast aspersions on our democratic process without any proof are also exhausting.
Silly me, I thought maybe – maybe – we were putting all this behind us. Apparently not yet.
Definitely a stench of another kind, but a stench nevertheless.
