#the world in a sea shell

[sprog-2-electric-boogaloo]

favorite albums so far

[fliegenengel]

How do people share their feelings? I poured out all my water to manifest myself beyond my shell. Wasn't that enough?

[gemsofgreece]

Ultimate Greek Christmas tree... made by fishermen in Euboea island!

[thewhimsyturtle]

Happy World Turtle Day! 🥳🐢

Who remembers my gorgeous friend Astro crocheted by Waffles and Mango @wafflesworld’s humom? For this year's annual tortle tower, Astro and I upped the ante with a triple tower! 🧶🐢🐢🐢

🔙 Pssst . . . remember this video from last year when I first met Astro?

[blueiscoool]

A Gujarat Mother-of-Pearl and Turbo Shell Covered Cup with European Silver Mounts 17/18th Century

[crowmaturgy]

prolly been said before but (spoilers) what if captain rose was the BBEG

[caninescreations]

hold up i didn't know perfect!stan was also recruiting people other than ford!! and succeeding!! that's terrifying!!!! the idea that atlantis has a spokesperson that can actually *hunt more people down* godddd. does ford know about that part??? find out about it??? god how horrifying would it be if he learned that part from someone other than stan!!!! awful!!!!!!!

EHEHEHEHEHE!! Lots of good stuff here, anon, thank you. I've been infected by this deep-sea moray eel of indeterminate length and it is piloting my body like some kind of deranged muppet.

What the most fucked-up part about the situation that I have not yet divulged is the fact that Atlantis did not ask Stanley to do any of this. He- or rather, his replacement- is the one to offer himself as a spokesperson to Atlantis without any prompting from the city whatsoever! Understand, it's been sitting quietly at the bottom of the ocean for centuries, very slowly crumbling in on itself the whole time. It's like an old opera diva, sitting alone in its dressing room in a fluffy-hemmed silk robe with a bottle of chardonnay reminiscing about how radiant and respected it used to be. People wanted to be fixed back then, dammit, and it took the most promising individuals and lifted them higher than their mortal shells could ever get them. It doesn't understand why even the most downtrodden and lost among its visitors will reject its offer half the time, even when those visitors are in dire need of assistance. But it is old, and it knows that it is all but lost to time.

It holds no malice-- it's essentially an automated city, hardly a person in its own right-- but it can't help trying to process the logic of its mortal visitors since there's nothing better to do. However, you are entirely right in that, for Atlantis, Stanley was a stroke of luck. He's certainly not the sort of person it prefers to offer its gifts to, but he said yes where others would not have, and that's what made the difference.

I'd like to talk, too, about his replacement. There's a bit of a balance in "perfection". There are things that the city, through its divinely-given abilities, will not cede on when "improving" an individual, but there's leeway for each person's own ideals. What Stanley himself considered perfection? Some of that made it through unscathed. He can be the perfect son, someone who can make his father proud and his mother smile. He can be the perfect brother, someone who has more patience and understanding, someone who makes himself useful instead of a burden, who isn't a screwup. Someone who isn't as suffocating.

There's a fun character trait that Original Flavor Stanley has that he will never admit to, one that pops up when you know where to look for it. It's a key reason that his replacement does the things that he does. See, Stanley's no saint. He won't help someone out unless there's something in it for him, he won't trust anyone as far as he can throw them, and he has an almost compulsive tendency to take shortcuts whenever possible no matter how ill-advised it is. But… But. He will return kindness given to him. "One good turn deserves another," and all that. We see it in his loyalty to his family, the way he will bend over backwards to put smiles on their faces and keep them safe. And the city doesn't just give him a good turn- it completely turns his life around. He's happy, and more than that he's content- he reconnects with his family outside of Ford, he finds satisfaction with himself, he lives his life for his own sake!

He's not 'working for' Atlantis. He's returning a favor it paid to him. To perfect!Stanley, Atlantis has cured him of everything he considered broken about himself. And the only thing Atlantis wants is to help other people! Which it can only do if people know about what it can offer them. And what Stanley can offer it is a salesman's smile and the power of persuasion. Sure, before all this he would have been appalled to be doing pro-bono work for what amounts to a suicide cult in the icy waters of the north Pacific ocean. The old him would have screamed and crawled through a mile of broken glass on his hands and knees to avoid having yet another sign in his life that he is and always has been the unwanted twin. But the old him was weak. Stupid. A screw-up. Worse than that, he was a poison to the people he loved most. He lashed out, hurt them because he was too wrapped up in himself to see what he was doing. But he's better now!! He doesn't feel like he's playing second fiddle to anyone. He doesn't need to prove himself so badly anymore, because he's been fixed, and the proof of that rests under the floorboards of his boat for him to remind himself that he'll never have to be that faulty spare Stan ever again.

So what if Atlantis didn't really want him? It got him, and now he'll give back what it gave him tenfold. That's why it's so important to him that Stanford understands what the city is trying to do. Why wouldn't he want to give his brother this same happiness? Why wouldn't he want his brother to have this same gift? To be perfect? To stop being bogged down by all that pain and really live? Stanley knows that his brother deserves it.

[Stanley, perfected, really doesn't feel relief when his brother says 'no' to the city's gift. He genuinely does not think about the skeleton hidden in the Lethe, away from Stanford's prying eyes. He simply accepts the answer he is given and tries to push his brother towards their family when their paths diverge again. Sailing away from the west coast, he is saddened not by their parting, but by the way that Atlantis will be left without his brother's brilliant mind, polished to a flawless gleam by the ocean's depths. He is sad that his brother's bones will not rest with his own.]

[sea-witcheh]

🐚 My Shell List for Ocean Witchcraft

very long!

Cowrie Shell -- Prosperity, fertility, feminine energy, wealth - where to collect: Africa, Indian Ocean beaches

Scallop Shell -- Journey, pilgrimage blessings, protection - where to collect: Atlantic beaches (USA, Europe)

Conch Shell -- Call to spirits, awakening inner power, amplifying voice - where to collect: Caribbean, warm tropical beaches

Sand Dollar -- Spiritual rebirth, peace, trust in universal cycles - where to collect: Mexico, Florida, tropical sandy shores

Murex Shell -- Royalty, sacredness, defense magic - where to collect: Mediterranean, Indo-Pacific

Olive Shell -- Grace, smooth paths, grounding wishes - where to collect: Southeastern US, Australia

Auger Shell -- Psychic defense, focus, clarity - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, Florida, warm beaches

Wentletrap Shell -- Spirit communication, delicate energy, accessing dreams - where to collect: Shallow waters, Southeast Asia

Babylon Shell -- Abundance, rootedness, wisdom of ancestors - where to collect: Persian Gulf, India, Philippines

Triton’s Trumpet -- Powerful protection, summoning sea spirits, strength - where to collect: Indo-Pacific reefs, coral-heavy shores

Limpet Shell -- Adaptability, steady progress, emotional protection - where to collect: Rocky shores, tide pools worldwide

Nerite Shell -- New beginnings, resisting negativity, safe travels - where to collect: Caribbean, Florida, Indo-Pacific

Moon Snail Shell -- Intuition, hidden wisdom, psychic dreams - where to collect: Pacific Northwest (USA), colder beaches

Top Shell -- Personal growth, creativity, positive flow - where to collect: Mediterranean, Caribbean

Turritella Shell -- Ancient memory, ancestral connection, earth-sea balance - where to collect: Fossil beds, warm shallow waters

Sundial Shell (Architectonica perspectiva) -- Cosmic connection, time magic, spiraling growth - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, sandy shallow areas

Helmet Shell (some of my favorites!) -- Courage, spiritual shielding, warrior energy - where to collect: Indo-Pacific, Caribbean

Volute Shell -- Love, devotion, honoring vows (Great gift for your partner <3) - where to collect: Warm waters, Indian Ocean

Paper Nautilus (Argonaut Shell) -- Creativity, femininity, magical flight - where to collect: These are rarer than most, and they float! Mediterranean, Australia

Angel Wing Shell -- Fragile beauty, spiritual awakening, connection to dreams - where to collect: Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Caribbean

Slipper Limpet -- Subtle healing, balance between giving and receiving - where to collect: European and East Coast shores

Donax Shell (Coquina) -- Energy shifts, playfulness, social magic - where to collect: Southeastern USA beaches

Cockle Shell -- Friendship, love, carrying home’s blessings - where to collect: European beaches, Atlantic shores

Pheasant Shell -- Endurance, adaptability, balance of inner and outer selves - where to collect: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific beaches

Spindle Shell -- Manifestation of goals, swift change, ambition - where to collect: Indo-Pacific region, tropical beaches

Marginella Shell -- Financial luck, small blessings, quick positive changes - where to collect: West Africa, Indian Ocean

Ark Shell (clam) -- Courage to face emotional challenges, opening the heart - where to collect: East Coast USA, Gulf of Mexico

Cat’s Eye Shell (Operculum) (My favorite!!!) -- Spiritual gateway, protection during astral travel - where to collect: Washed up with dead shells (Sri Lanka, Australia)

Button Top Shell -- Inner balance, softening harsh emotions, emotional maturity - where to collect: Caribbean, Indo-Pacific

✨ Tips for Collecting Shells

Respect local laws: Some places protect shells, corals, and marine wildlife! Always check if it's okay to take them.

Ethical gathering: Only take empty, dead shells (never with a creature still inside).

Cleanse shells: Wash gently with water and sea salt before using them in spells or altars.

🐚 Shell Magic Ideas

Use cowrie shells in money bowls.

Sand dollars are amazing for transformation rituals.

Conch shells can be used as literal horns to call spirits or start a ritual.

Tiny auger shells make great protection charms to wear or carry.

Paper nautilus shells (if you can find one!!) are perfect for creativity and dream weaving magic.

other sites to use: Shelling tips , shell hunting in Texas , Where and when to find shells

Note: some shells match certain moon phases! Do extra research before using, and make sure the ones you're taking aren't still alive or home to a hermit crab! that can be a miniature trouble! especially if the snail inside is possibly poisonous or venomous.

[gl1tterbl00db4g]

Shelly!!!!! (HUMAN shelly fossilian)

[dqnishsweetheart]

saltwater woven into my veins 🪡

[rahonaclouds]

She lives in a plastic dome, rules from a pebble throne 👑 A blue queen with eight tiny hugs and seashell gifts 🐙🐚

Octopus

Made from paper clay

[seashellplanet]

off we go!

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

Charlotte's Art History Tarot - Card 21 - The World

Art: Vanitas Still Life with Terrestrial Globe – Frans Luycx

interpret this card

[atlanticwitchsea]

a little hint and you'll thank me later 🌊🧜‍♀️

[lemdemo]

ive been starving you guys so here uhhh uhhh

[jellyfishjungle]

Coffs harbour 📍