STROKES AND SHAPES

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Weak Garlands. People who make weak, broken garland strokes lack followthrough. They have good intentions but their energy level is low. They are easily taken advantage of, are naive and gullible.

Sham Garlands. The garland with retracing can produce the sham formation. It indicates a socially repressed personality. The individual cannot express his aggressive feelings in a social situation, and will behave with charm and sweetness even when he doesnt like someone or something. It goes against his grain to be offensive, and even a bitter enemy can get a warm greeting in public. Its an indication often of a sly and cunning nature-one who can win without being tempermental.

THE ARCAQE FORMATION

A line of arcades looks like this.

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Generally Arcaded Writing

1
Letter rlLetter 1

The arcade stroke forms the upper part of a circle. Its shape is convex, like an arch or a roof, and provides support and structure. Generally speaking, arcaded writers are secretive, guarded, protective, resistant and proud. As in the yin-yang principle, the arcade (yang) is the masculine counterpart to the feminine garland (yin). Arcaded writers are as protective and paternal as garland writers are receptive and maternal.

Socially, the arcaded writer is a traditionalist, and wants to preserve what has already been established. He can get along with most personalities and finds the garland type quite pleasant. He has an artistic sense of proportion and is highly creative. Sometimes, he can be authoritarian, and offends with his seeming indifference to emotion. Hes really just as emotional as the garland writer, but is very controlled in his expression of it. The arcaded writer can accept change, but it must be gradual. This type is not domineering, but neither is he to be dominated.