The Ten Traits of an Assassin

Jenna Elfman plays Ellena Roberts in
the 2002 Lifetime movie, Obsessed.

In one of my favorite Lifetime movies, Obsessed, from 2002, Jenna Elfman plays a character by the name of Ellena Roberts who is infatuated with a well-known surgeon.  When her infatuation crosses the line from fantasy into reality -- in the form of Ellena harrassing Dr. David Stillman and his family -- her behavior becomes criminal.  One of the reasons that I love this movie so much is because so much of the plot is ambiguous, leaving the viewer to wonder just what the initial nature of their relationship was, and exactly what the hell was going on in Ellena's head?  The way that Ellena views the world is also very different than reality: colors are a bit more vivid while the "focus" is more fluid and romantic, as opposed to the hard matter-of-fact point of view as voiced by her victim, Dr. Stillman.  While a lot of the dialogue may be overdramatic and lacking credibility (such as Vlasta Vrana's psychiatrist character declaring that Ellena Roberts has "seven of the ten traits of an assassin"), the story's interesting twists and various plot devices makes this movie a guilty pleasure that you can really sink your teeth into. 

Like many people, I couldn't help but search the internet to find out the real traits of an assassin.  Unfortunately, it would seem that the writers of this classic have invented such criteria.  What might they look like?  Here's my list:

1.  Lack of conscience.  This has got to be the number-one requirement in traits of an assassin.  If the subject feels the least amount of remorse, it will be difficult to carry out destructive tasks.  Regret should rarely occur, and when it does, can be easily replaced with delusions and rationalizations.

2.  Cunning.  An assassin must be able to "think outside the box" and determine as many methods as possible toward achieving the final outcome.  Unconventional or unusual ways of looking at the world -- or clever ways of acquiring and applying knowledge -- is an advantage to the assassin.

3.  Versatility.  The ability to use many tools in order to get the job done is vital, so the subject should be able to learn quickly and adapt to new surroundings.  Assassins will also treat other people as useful tools in order to complete their work.

4.  Charm and glibness.  Because assassins often need to infiltrate their prey's surroundings in order to get the job done, the assassin must have extra-special powers of persuasion.  Knowing how to manipulate other people will go a long way toward completing their malicious goals.

5.  Pathological tendencies.  It's a lot easier to be a mercenary of any sort if you're more able to justify your nefarious actions.  Assassins never feel remorse, and in fact, may have an "avenging angel" complex.

6.  Risk taking.  Someone with assassin tendencies will naturally be duplicitous and have no problems with treacherous or tricky scenarios.  He or she can easily adapt to treacherous conditions, and may even enjoy the thrill of dangerous situations.

7.  Restlessness.  An assassin doesn't like to sit still for long.  Someone who is truly cold-blooded or devious very likely craves drama and excitement.  Any adrenaline junkie will tell you that once you've experienced a rush like this, it's hard to stop looking for thrills.

8.  Untrustworthy.  An assassin will do or say anything to gain access to their prey's demise.  Lies come easily.  Cheating, stealing, and lying -- all destructive acts -- come easy to the assassin, especially if there is something to be gained from them.

9.  Chaotic life.  Problems may abound for an assassin, who has difficulty understanding and respecting the boundaries of others.  This type of poor judgement often manifests in chaos and drama of his or her own making.

10.  Nothing to lose.  While this trait may appear to contradict the previous one, you must get inside the mind of an assassin to truly understand. A person like this may have fragile (if any) real connections to anyone or anything, and can easily abandon those connections if it's advantageous of him or her to do so.

Because Ellena didn't actually perform any violent acts in the movie, it would seem that her crimes (at least the ones that she committed) were more of the emotional variety.  I would classify her as more of an emotional vampire than an assassin.  However, many of the traits above do seem to describe her character.

This movie was based on a true story, about a woman named Diane Schaefer who stalked an oncologist in New York for many years.  She was eventually sentenced to 2 years in prison during the 1990s.

Photo Credit:  Thanks to Greg Hernandez who made this photo available under a Creative Commons license.  (It has been altered, the original can be found here.)  I appreciate it, and I'm sure so do those who have come here searching for the 10 traits of an assassin! :)

Aries Psychic Sage Forecast for 2012!

Aries Psychic Sage Forecast for 2012! 

Here's a little more information...

January:  Your focus should be on new beginnings this month.  There are some pieces of unfinished business which are making it difficult for you to move on.  In order to get to the next phase of your life, you must allow yourself to grieve for these losses.  Remember that what you do will come back to you this year, so be sure to surround yourself with positivity and light.

February:  You must focus outward throughout February.  Certain people will need your help, and it will be your duty to be there for them in ways that they cannot do for themselves right now.  Criticism from others may bring you some inner pain this month; however, do your best to disconnect your feelings from the source of this.  Remember: it's not personal.  Use what you learn to improve yourself.

March:  Instead of fantasizing on what might be possible in the long run, now is the time for you to concentrate your energies only on what you can do right now to improve the world around you.  Dwelling too much on possibilities for the far-off future will prevent you from being able to accomplish the challenges which are currently right in front of you.  This month will pass quickly for you, so make the most of it.

April:  New information will yield some wonderful surprises for you throughout April.  A new relationship will bring surprising opportunities for collaboration in creative an unusual ways.  Enjoy seeking advice from someone unique and unconventional, who sees the world in a different way than you do.  Your perspective will change and your horizons will broaden.  Discover the beginning of a whole new facet of yourself.

May:  You will make some important realizations halfway through an important undertaking.  Perhaps there are better ways to handle what you've got in front of you, but the best you can do is damage control at this point.  Celebrate your accomplishments and move on -- prepare yourself for what next month has in store.  You will need plenty of energy for what's ahead!

June:  Stay close to home this month, and try as hard as you can to save money for a rainy day.  Rest, recharge your batteries.  There are secrets around you, but for the time being, it's better to accept the fact that some questions don't have answers.  Instead, devote your time to learning as much as you can about the circumstances that are right in front of you, right now.  The other truths will reveal themselves in due time.

July:  This month, devote some time to what thrills you.  Lately, you've been feeling like a puzzle with some of the pieces missing, so you must find ways to make yourself whole again.  Consider joining an organized group that is devoted to a serious passion of yours.  Find the joy and excitement that you've been lacking this year.  Celebrate what you love, revel in the fun of the things that bring you joy.

August:  An event from your past has been haunting you recently.  In order to get your current issues in order, you must first go back and reevaluate what has already transpired.  Allow yourself to grieve.  You're now strong enough to investigate issues surrounding these, and also open enough to learn from any mistakes that you or others have made.  

September:  While last month brought some feelings which weighed heavily on your heart, September makes you feel lighter and happier than you have all summer.  You've been working hard to for the peace of mind that you've finally achieved.  Reflection is an important part of this process.  Maintain that positive attitude; it should hold you in good stead for quite some time to come!

October:  It has been said that we are never given burdens which are too heavy for us to manage.  This theory will be put to the test for you this month as some rough patches begin to show.  Fortunately, your quick-minded optimism shines through and helps you to keep on guard to not just meet, but conquer those challenges this month.  You're on the top of your game!  Enjoy the power!

November:  The time for action is now.  Share your good fortune with others, but don't forget that you serve as a role model to people much more than you know.  You are admired for your strength and your ability to gain the upper hand in challenging situations.  Teach your ways to those who want to learn.  Not only will you enjoy the satisfaction of giving and helping others, but you will also be providing valuable information to someone who truly deserves it.

December:  You feel as if you're ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor for the year.  Some enjoyment is definitely due, but remember that you also must be planning your next steps thereafter.  This year has brought you some new hardships which you've addressed admirably; you have also been able to resolve quite a bit of unfinished business.  This year has wrapped up well, so now it's time to think what you'd like 2013 to bring you.  Start planning now!

Blue Benefits of Sapphire Therapy

Crystal therapy is great to use in conjunction with scientifically-approved medical treatments. This New Age practice can make you feel wonderful; when the mind is relaxed and happy, it can enhance well-being and promote physical healing. Try it! 

One fabulous gemstone to add to your crystal therapy repertoire is the sapphire. The word itself comes from the Greek word "sapphieros" which means "blue stone," although at the time, this moniker probably referred to what we know today as lapis lazuli. While sapphires are often all shades of blue from the palest sky-blue to the deepest navy, they do come in other colors as well -- such as pink, yellow, green, purple, even black and white.

The magickal properties of sapphire make it a very versatile stone. They are excellent for promoting happiness and love, including faithfulness to a lover, as well as clarity of thought. They also are reputed to have specific healing powers. For example, the standard blue sapphire is associated with the throat chakra which is represented by the color blue, and therefore many choose to use it for helping this area of the body. It can be of particular benefit to people who use the voice for a living: singers, public speakers, or voice actors.

Other sapphire colors can have specific applications as well. Many colors of sapphires are said to be beneficial to the heart chakra, especially green sapphires, which also aid the immunities to help keep your body healthy and strong, and pink or purple sapphires which are often instrumental in filling the seeker with love and spiritual enlightenment. Black stones are often used for protection and to keep one's outlook balanced, and the black sapphire is no exception to this rule.

A sapphire which is used for therapeutic crystal ritual reasons can come from any source you like. Just make sure that it is a natural stone (not a "lab" sapphire or "created" stone). It is not hard to find sapphires in their natural, unpolished state, but if you prefer to try jewelry-quality stones which is already be set into a wearable piece, then you have the convenience of slipping the sapphire on and off your body as you need it.

Easiest Reflexology Chart Ever!

In the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about reflexology.  It's something that I've studied, here and there, for the past couple of years.  I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert, though I would say that I'm an enthusiast.  It's the sort of holistic treatment that I love, because it's non-invasive and no matter how inexperienced you are, you can't really hurt someone or do it "wrong."  

One thing that confuses people, however, is just where all of those pesky reflexology points are located!  I've looked at a lot of charts, and while it seems that there's some debate going on about some of the parts of the body and their corresponding reflexology areas, I have formulated a chart that is based on the most widely-agreed locations.  My reflexology chart is a very simple, basic diagram that has the most commonly sought locations featured prominently.  The image of the sole of the foot was taken from an image from Gray's Anatomy that I found online -- I just colored in and labelled all of the "good" parts. ;)

 I wouldn't recommend reflexology as a cure-all or any sort of replacement for the advice of a doctor, but I would most happily recommend it as something to try as a supplemental treatment -- it certainly can't hurt you, and at the very worst, you'll be getting a nice relaxing foot rub out of the deal (how bad could that be?).  Just remember to be gentle and go slow if you're trying it for the first time.  Get a friend to try some of these reflexology points on you, or just refer to my picture below and do it for yourself.  It's easy and so much fun!  Consult your doctor before doing this, as some types of massage may be unsuitable for people with certain health issues.

P.S.  As a special gift to you, I fully permit everyone to use, share, and refer to my chart under the Creative Commons No-Derivs License!  (more info below)  

Feel free to distribute it as long as you link back to me.   

Just click the picture to get the full-sized image.

If you use my reflexology chart, please comment below 

so that I can come visit the place you have displayed it. :)

Enjoy!

Reflexology Chart by Sage is licensed under a 

Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Spells, Prayers, and Rituals Defined

In the simplest sense, all spiritual practices, such as wishes, rituals, spells, and prayers, are all essentially the same.  They are thoughts which we consciously guide toward a certain direction; when we pray or practice spiritual activities, they have the power to change our very lives.

When you are requesting help from the divine in order to achieve a certain goal, each request and thought can have a very specific effect in the form of your desired outcome.  If you ask for a spell, ritual, or prayer to be performed for you -- or you practice this yourself -- you are requesting divine intervention to help repair an area of your life which you feel needs a little help.  Therefore, you must understand that wishes, prayers, and other rituals are very important practices.  These are spiritual tools which are designed for serious and specific purposes.

Throughout human history, we have used these types of practices across all cultures.  Spiritual practices such as alchemy, reiki, shamanism, druidry, kabbalah, wicca, santeria, voodoo, prayer, hoodoo, hermeticism, religions of all types, and more have been instruments to affect changes.  Even the simple power of positive thought and meditation can be beneficial in times of turbulence or whenever a life change is needed.

Some spiritual and religious practices benefit from the use of tools such as talismans or other tangible items for more effectiveness.  These can include candles, herbs, religious amulets, the drawing of symbols (such as Christians making the sign of the cross), and many other types of methods to manifest change.  However, you do not always need to use "hard" goods for these purposes.  It can be as easy as putting your hands together and praying, or sitting in a comfortable spot to meditate and reflect on manifesting the desired changes.  Requesting aid from your higher power, or any Divine presence that you choose to work with, is the most important aspect of any spell, prayer, or ritual.  The other items may help to center or focus the requester, but they are powerless without the intention within you.