Hi boo boos,
I have an Aries stellium so I'm low-key a burgeoning expert on anger. And I have a very high capacity for violence.
For example, last night I was reading my latest sci-fi, fantasy, erotica novel and the main character killed her stepbrother in the most deliciously violent way. You see, he had just been named king and had an absurd plan to try to whip her into submission. The problem is that she's secretly bonded to an extremely powerful immortal character who shows up mid-whipping pissed.
When I say he annihilated everyone involved in that lady's whipping, my gawd. But then the main character he was saving did something fantastic. Right before her boo thang was about to kill her evil stepbrother she stopped him. She said, "no baby, don't kill my brother."
Then she took her soon-to-be lover's sword and walked over to where her stepbrother was tied up and asked him if he remembered what she promised him. Then she sliced off each of her stepbrother's arms, stabbed him in the chest just to the right of his heart, and shoved the handle of the whip he used on her down his throat so he would choke to death before he bled out from the flesh wounds.
It. Was. Delicious.
When I tell you I was giddy dancing around my room cheering her on at the sheer ruthlessness of it all.
Because I don't know anyone personally who I'd like to stab to death, but I'm so angry right now that stabbing someone, like basically any potential or existing elected official in this country, sounds deeply satisfying.
I know. We're not supposed to say this out loud. And for those of you who don't know me well personally, this all may be rather shocking.
But here's the thing: to be a peaceful person, you have to have a capacity for violence. Many of you know me as peaceful, but most of you don't know me as violent or angry. But I'm angry all the time.
I like anger. Anger is my friend. When I feel anger, I know that a boundary has been crossed. Sometimes it's physical, but most of the time it's values-based. And pretty much everything about our existing society violates my boundaries. Then, to add insult to injury, politicians are constantly gaslighting us to tell us we're not seeing what we're seeing. They're telling us that they aren't constantly violating our values and creating structures and systems that violate our physical boundaries when they are.
So in case you have trouble accessing anger, I thought I'd share some things you should be absolutely irate about in my professional aspiring anger expert opinion:
- White people pretending that getting Kamala Harris elected will be easy. I don't educate about whiteness anymore, but the denial of the existence of racism and sexism is truly breathtaking, lol.
- The liberal elites who waited 10 months into a genocide to tell Biden to step down because he was too old and not because he was and still is openly supporting and funding a genocide. Truly fuck George Clooney.
- The fact that Peter Thiel exists.
- The fact that Elon Musk exists.
- That Hillbilly Elegy was ever a bestseller when Appalachia Elegy by bell hooks is a thing.
- That the economy of convenience has stripped most of us of basic survival skills like how to grow food.
- That there is no safe, clean water to drink.
- There are literally millions of starving people in Sudan.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran pretending to be the savior of the Middle East.
- That Palestine was ever occupied.
- Obama's constant gaslighting.
- The liberal elites sending thoughts and prayers to Donald Trump and saying that violence is never okay while they literally directly involve themselves in violence here and across the globe.
- We're in a situation where we're about to find out whether America's commitment to the violence of racism or to the comfort of racism (the constant yearning for a Mammy - skip to 4:30) is stronger.
I could go on, but a baker's dozen feels sufficient.
Remember that anger is ruled by Mars and Mars rules Aries. Aries is a cardinal sign. It's a sign of action. So when you feel angry, you're supposed to do something about it.
Personally, I'm channeling my anger into creating the best free and low-cost legal resources for entrepreneurs on the internet over at The Everyday Lawyer.
I'm also channeling it into the newly formed Black Founders Table, an organization in Baltimore focused on supporting Baltimore's black businesses with revenue growth.
And in my spare time, I continue to deepen my political education with my friend Toi's free offering The Deepening.
How are you channeling your anger these days?
May you choose love over fear and safety over comfort,
Brionna
Communal Solidarity Practices for Summer: Climate change is here and that means it's very hot. Please remember your houseless neighbors this summer. When you leave the house, bring extra water with you and fruit to support their hydration. You can ask a houseless person if they want you to buy them food or a drink in a restaurant (coffee shops are great). This makes them a paying customer so they can enjoy a bit of air conditioning and use the bathroom. This is an especially beneficial practice if you're in a city.
Please remember that you are much closer to being houseless than a billionaire, which means houseless folks are a significantly more accurate reflection of our (and your) reality than billionaires. Please treat them with dignity and respect and honor their humanity.
Watch: This documentary on Barry Farm, DC's "Chocolate City," which was founded after slavery ended because white people didn't want black people who worked in DC to live near them. What was born was a cultural epicenter and a haven for community activism. Then it all came crashing down, as it always does, due to neglect from the city, the deliberate introduction of crack cocaine into black neighborhoods, and systematic racism against black folks. The documentary is equal parts beautiful, inspiring, nostalgic, and depressing. It's worth 50 minutes of your time.
