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thepersonperson · 5 months ago

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Sukuna’s Loneliness Part 5 (Sukuna Did Nothing Wrong in the Heian Era, Probably)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Some notes before we start.

1) Big content warning for in depth discussion of historical slavery and the exploitation of minority groups.

2) I will be mainly using the TCB scans for the manga because of their accessibility.

3) Raws are from Mangareader(.)to.

(Click images for captions/citations.)

Preface

This is another case of me making everyone suffer the consequences of my fic research. I finally got my hands on 100+ page THESIS on the lives of the lower class in ancient Japan that references multiple peer-reviewed sources. This is my holy grail. Please read all of it. (Thank you Mr. Breann M Goosmann!) Whenever I quote something, I am quoting this source. Most of what I'm summarizing is directly from this source.

Gege may have failed to write a proper backstory for Sukuna, but one was clearly set up using the actual history of that time. So I'm here to infer what's in those gaps using this document.

The Class System in Ancient Japan

During the Heian Era (794–1185) a social caste system called Ritsuryō (you can read more about its application here). The upper class was called 良民 or Ryōmin (good people) and the lower class was called 賤民 Senmin (low people).

The kanji 民 (Min) used for both of these classes can be translated as citizen instead of person. The Wiki page I linked uses the citizen translation. I have decided to change that to people because of 3rd group of people excluded from this system: The 非人 or Hinin (non-people).

Ryōmin included court nobility, citizens, professions that served the court, and tradesmen.

Senmin included servants and slaves.

Hinin included criminals, the deformed/disabled, and those working professions considered "unclean."

The most notable thing about this class system is the mobility between Ryōmin and Senmin. Committing crimes, selling oneself into slavery, aging, paying off debts, and doing good work allowed people to rise or fall from the ranks accordingly. Hinin, however, were confined to their class for the most part because many were viewed as innately "unclean".

Ironically, the best way to understand how this class system functioned is to understand what being "unclean" meant to it.

Uncleanliness (Kegare)

穢れ (Kegare) is a term that can be translated as the following: uncleanliness, defilement, pollution, impure.

晴れ (Hare) is a term considered the opposite for Kegare and can be translated as the following: to clear up, clear skies/sunny, renew, dispel, sacred, pure.

Both of these terms largely inform of how ancient Japan functioned and evolved over time. And though not a black and white dichotomy, it can be generally understood that society was organized in a way to minimize Kegare.

What's interesting about Kegare specifically is its complexity and its impermanence. Rather than being something only bad people have, anyone could acquire and dispel it through the proper rituals.

From the Kojiki, a Shinto document compiled before the introduction of Buddhism, and therefore before the Heian, separates Kegare into 2 categories:

1) Touch Kegare: Defilement through the physical contact with something unclean such as bodily fluids and the dead.

2) Transgression Kegare: Defilement through sinful actions.

"These versions of pollution appear as transient, exorcised relatively simply through misogi (cleansing ritual), seclusion from society, or expulsion of disorder causing elements."

This understanding of Kegare then evolved with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. (This began in the Nara Era and extended well into the Heian.)

"As Jacqueline Stone explains in her study of deathbed rites and rituals, someone who had become enlightened was considered to have a “pure” mind, while those with a deluded mind were said to have a “defiled” mind. Monastic Buddhists also followed their own codes of “pure” conduct such as refraining from the eating of meat and killing of animals."

The old Shinto understandings of Kegare still carried over with the physical avoidment of unclean things such as dead bodies and blood. However, Buddhism introduced the idea that certain groups of people were innately impure. This includes the Hinin who were uniquely ostracized by this system.

"Hinin, like all outcast groups were bound to their “defiled” status. However, unlike other outcasts, they were also cast as blasphemers of Buddhist doctrine afflicted with karmic illness."

But despite being seen as this innately impure, the religious institutions were closest to them. Of the few places in society willing to tolerate and deal with Kegare, they offered outcasts "positions" where they could beg, display themselves as what happens to people who don't follow religious doctrine, and help with jobs considered "unclean". Since outcasts were considered permanently defiled for the duration of that life, they could touch impure things such as the dead, the sick, and blood on behalf of those avoiding temporary Kegare.

This is exploitation point blank. And though this suggests outcasts had some agency when it came to their survival, it doesn't remove the systemic coercion driving their situation.

Please keep this in mind as I explain why Sukuna did nothing wrong.

Sukuna is Hinin

Though there is plenty of debate on what makes someone Hinin, the general consensus is the following:

"All agree that hinin were considered defiled by others in society and looked at with some contempt. One medieval reference book called the Chiribukuro explains that hinin and other outcast groups “are alike in that they are shunned by human society.”"

But when trying to define Hinin more narrowly, this is the result:

"the term hinin indicated a very specific group of social outcasts isolated from the community and cast aside due to disease or deformation. In his description of hinin, Nagahara explains that those referred to as “kojiki-hinin” were of the lowest social class, physically isolated from their families and communities and therefore excluded from society and economic activities in the medieval period."

Sounds like Sukuna, right?

Sukuna does not refer to himself as Hinin of course, but he does call himself 忌み子 (Imigo).

To quote myself from Part 1, Imigo can be translated as "Abominable Child", "Unwanted Child", or "Shunned Child." None of these translations in my opinion get across how severe Imigo is. It's closer to meaning "child who should've never been born". Like the child's very existence is an affront to god. (If you play Elden Ring the Omen are called Imigo in Japanese for this reason.)

And since we know that Sukuna is canonically a conjoined twin, aka someone with a visible deformity, this all indicates he was considered afflicted with a "karmic illness" that would classify him as Hinin.

This means that from birth, Sukuna was designated as fundamentally unclean and non-human. Within that society, there was no route he could take to remove himself from this uncleanliness and be seen as human.

The following views of Hinin were considered controversial for their time (during the Kamakura Era aka right after the Heian):

"Although Nichiren believed in the karmic nature of certain diseases, he also understood that this kind of disease was not a hindrance to salvation."

"Undoubtedly, Eison envisioned hinin as the physical representation of the Bodhisattva Monju and advocated that compassion and charity were the appropriate response to karmic illness."

And since these controversial views of *checks notes* considering Hinin worthy of compassion and salvation were documented after the Heian, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume Hinin had less advocates during the Heian.

In other words, Sukuna could not exist within human society without being shunned or exploited. The manga itself suggests this has always been the case.

As you can see Sukuna is absolutely miserable performing a ritual someone of this lower class would be responsible for overseeing. All while the people he is helping regard him with disgust. (By the way there is a purification ritual in Nara called Yamayaki that involves burning an entire mountainside. Something Sukuna's flames would be very good at.)

This is also from the same chapter where he's assaulted by Yorozu who assumes he's lonely because he's strong. She's wrong about this. Just like Kashimo who assumes Sukuna cares little for love for the same reasons he does.

Love from one person is worthless when compared to the nonstop ostracization that comes from institutional discrimination. At most, love can offer relief from that pain. It does not eliminate it. I'm saying this as a minority myself. I love my friends dearly and they love me as well, but I still wake up and go about my day with the soul-crushing knowledge that most wish for me to not exist.

Sukuna is not lonely because he's not loved. Uraume clearly does. It's that for circumstances beyond his control, he has been excluded from human society and forced to constantly be around people who exploit him for the very traits they scorn.

Sukuna pretty much confirms this himself when he talks to Mahito.

And you know what? Sukuna deciding to kill all the people exploiting him is completely justified. (Imo, he can even kill the non-sorcerers that discriminate against him as a treat.)

The Cannibalism was Justified too, for the most part.

Another thing to note about Sukuna. He was born starving and he died starving.

Famines and natural disaster were frequent and extremely hard on the commoner population during the Heian. The fact Sukuna was born starving indicates he was of lower birth to begin with since nobility hoarded the resources to avoid starvation for themselves.

One way for commoners dealt with famine was via foraging. We actually see Sukuna doing that when he meets Uraume.

Now there are several very interesting things we learn from this.

1) Sukuna hunts and eats elk/deer. Something massively taboo for the time. Especially since deer were considered sacred animals back then and even to this day.

2) He appears to wander around and owns very little. This is further in line with him being Hinin per the following:

"Clearly, welcome could be revoked at any time, which meant that hinin had to be prepared to leave any location at any given moment. This mobile lifestyle also meant that hinin could only afford to carry essential daily items, such as cooking utensils and begging bowls. The image also reveals that the hinin were never officially invited to stay in that particular area. Instead, they sought out their own locations to set up communities."

3) Despite Uraume being alive and fresh human meat, Sukuna does not immediately see them as food. Nor does he attack them. This, combined with him not taking the dead villagers for eating and preparing deer/elk instead, suggests that cannibalism is not the default for him.

Back to famines, it's also not unheard of for people to resort to cannibalism during them. The logic is simple: An outcast with no support network eats humans to survive.

And given the frequency of death from natural disasters of this time, there’s a real chance he never had to hunt humans in the first place. As Hinin, handling the dead is one of the few jobs he’s allowed to do. So it’s possible the worst thing he did was desecrate corpses in the name of scavenging.

Furthermore, if Sukuna is considered a non-human, is it even cannibalism to begin with? Is a hungry animal evil for eating a human?

I may consider Sukuna human because I refuse to partake in his dehumanization, but it needs to be understood that in the context of the JJK's story, there is not a single character that refers to Sukuna as a human. He's not even referred to as a man. He's either a curse, a monster, or at the very end, a sorcerer. Sukuna has been so dehumanized by others that he himself identifies as a "curse". This is also separate from "cursed spirit", leaving him in his own unique category of non-human.

Sukuna may not see eating other people as acts of cannibalism. After all, they are the ones who decided he was non-human at birth. (And since he is taboo, eating the deer/elk can’t make him more taboo than he already is.)

The following is an excerpt discussing the dehumanization of the starving:

"This strange image is from the Scroll of Hungry Ghosts and the huge emaciated creature depicted is just one of many of the numerous depictions of hungry ghosts or gaki. Invisible to humans, the gaki depicted are the spirits of greedy or jealous individuals karmically punished for their covetous thoughts with perpetual hunger for bodily excretions such as urine or feces."

"The protrusions of the stomach, the red-tinted hair, as well as the greying of the skin, are all genuine symptoms of starvation. In this light, our image appears significantly different. Instead of an invisible monster attacking a man, we have a disfigured and suffering human reaching out for humanity."

The phenomenon of hair during red or blond from starvation is called Kwashiorkor. Gege may be color blind, but Sukuna being depicted with pink or blond hair appears to be deliberate and in line with Kwashiorkor.

Sukuna was probably framed.

The only crimes Sukuna is accused of by Jujutsu Society is murder and cannibalism. As demonstrated by the previous section, there could be a pretty good reason for the cannibalism. But what about the murder?

Another thing that should be noted about Sukuna is how his destruction is largely retaliatory in the modern era. Every kill or kill attempt is made as a response to a challenge that was directed at him first.

When Sukuna first incarnates, Megumi says this to him:

Yuji may be Megumi's target, but remember that Kegare spreads through touch. Sukuna coming into contact with Yuji has made them both unclean. In other words, Sukuna has been informed that in this life, 1,000 years later, where he has yet to do any harm (Those comments about the women, children, and massacre are still sus, but they could've been about the Merger.), he will be attacked by sorcerers no matter what. It's not unreasonable for him to then attack them on sight.

But even when he does that, most of them survive until Shinjuku. During the culling games, Sukuna kills only 2 sorcerers—Ryu and Yorozu. Ryu is given a chance to walk away, but he doesn't. Uro flees and is spared. Yorozu is the sole person Sukuna seeks out to kill and that’s just for his Gojo plans.

And in that month Sukuna has before the showdown with Gojo? Nothing happens. He kills no one and just lounges around. Eating his own corpse is the only cannibalism. He absolutely could have eaten Tsumiki’s body to further crush Megumi’s soul, but he doesn’t.

Then when it comes to the actual showdown, Sukuna kills 3 sorcerers total. It's also very telling that after Sukuna is dead...no one blames him for what happened. They blame Kenjaku, hell even Gojo, but Sukuna isn't mentioned once. Higuruma is convinced that Sukuna was playing around. Kusakabe agrees that Sukuna’s manner of play isn't what they’re super worried about, it's Kenjaku.

The worst thing Sukuna does is Shibuya and that too has nuance to it. The twins aren't killed for fun. Sukuna punishes them for making demands of him. The citizens of Shibuya? Collateral from dealing with Jogo and Mahoraga. (He only really kills Haruta for the sake of it. And let's be real, he deserved that.)

And though the Shibuya civilian deaths are an objectively bad thing Sukuna has done, the fact they are not intentional gives credence to the idea that Sukuna didn't really target them in the past either. This suggests that the "murders" Sukuna did in the Heian were likely retaliation against people challenging him or trying to subjugate him. In other words, self defense.

And if he did wipe out a village, it was probably collateral. But that's kind of the thing. Did Sukuna even kill innocents by accident? The only confirmed kills of the Heian are those of the Subjugation and Military Squads. You know, people who may have attacked him for simply being "unclean".

Who am I kidding he absolutely was attacked for being “unclean”. This is how Angel talks about Sukuna and the incarnated.

She doesn’t care about saving the lives of innocents, all that matters to her are things that she deems evil are purged. Sukuna to Angel is ontologically evil and doesn’t deserve to exist. She targets him more than other incarnated players while ignoring Kenjaku who is responsible for this mess in the first place. She also quite literally did something she deemed wrong and evil so she could follow him into the future and make sure he died. (Move over Gojo Satoru we've got a new minority hunter.)

But it’s not like her attitude is new. Jujutsu Society is notorious for trying to kill things they deem "bad" such as Yuji and Yuta. The striking thing about the wanted executions of these literal children is that the higher ups giving the command make other sorcerers do it for them. Going back to the ideas of Kegare—spilling blood and touching corpses makes one impure so the outcasts are to deal with it. This is the logic driving their decision to coerce Yuta into a binding vow to kill Yuji.

("No matter how many cursed spirits you kill, it's proof of nothing!" <Please take note of how Yuta's good deeds do nothing to earn the higher ups' favor because he's seen as inherently evil.)

Yuta is essentially scapegoated through this manipulation and Yuji initially treats him like an enemy. In the same way characters like Kusakabe blame Gojo for refusing to execute Yuji. Despite the higher ups being responsible for the system functioning this way, the people they’re manipulating bear the brunt of responsibility to other characters.

Who's to say Sukuna isn't also a victim of this scapegoating? His power is comparable to a natural disaster. It would be very easy to blame one on him. After all, the higher ups of the Heian, the Fujiwaras, did exactly that to Uro.

Uro’s situation is much worse than Yuta’s however. She is a military slave. This distinction of military slave is important because unlike domestic slaves, they were allowed to rise through the ranks and be given awards despite their status.

And since Uro is a Sukuna parallel, there is a pretty good chance he was a slave at some point during the Heian.

Slavery in the Heian

A little detail I left out when discussing famine in the Heian. The asymmetrical wealth distribution was so severe during this time that commoners would sell themselves into slavery in hopes of not starving to death.

An example from the Kamakura Era (after the Heian):

"As the article shows, during the three years of the Kangi famine (1229-1232) and several recovery years following, various common people sold themselves, their relatives, and their retainers into slavery in exchange for sustenance. Not only would an amount be given to the seller, but also presumably whoever now owned the sold individual would be responsible for feeding and providing shelter for that individual. In this way, the common populations of Japan created a strategy for survival. There was no certainty that a new owner would fulfill this obligation, but the promise of reprieve from daily struggles was impetus enough for the sale."

Another example from the same era:

"A didactic tale from 1283 tells the story of a small family consisting of a mother and son, who after experiencing severe famine, came to the realization they would soon starve to death. In the hope of saving his mother, the young boy offers to sell himself into bondage, and although the mother disagrees, he goes ahead with the plan."

Yes this is as bad as it sounds, but there is one thing I would like to get out of the way—this slave system did not function anything like the chattel slavery during colonialism. Strangely enough, these slaves had some rights they could fight their owners in court over. They could pay off debts and be set free. They were allowed to be married and have children with those outside of their class. They were not kept in cages or in chains like animals. (Silver linings! /s)

The term used for these slaves was 奴婢 (Nuhi) which roughly translates to “bonded person”. This is more in the contractual sense rather than the physical sense since most were slaves by contract or debt.

This kind of sounds like something binding vows could do, right? Well binding vows share no kanji with Nuhi using 縛り(Shibari) instead. However, Sukuna introduces the concept of binding vows with chains and a handshake.

Sukuna was also born unwanted to a starving mother during a time when starving people sold themselves or their relatives into slavery to survive. This can mean a lot of things for his upbringing and none of them are pleasant.

Here is a summary of what jobs Nuhi did:

"As stated previously, wealthy households frequently obtained slaves and assigned them to various domestic tasks. However, sources further illuminate trafficking of women into the sex trade of Kamakura Japan."

If you noticed, Sukuna's Cursed Technique is perfect for this. He can chop up veggies, butcher fish, till farmland, slash and burn farmland, light fires, and every other non-violent thing a knife and fire can be used for. If he wasn't exploited for exorcising curses, he absolutely would've been exploited for domestic tasks.

And to get to much more depressing line of work Sukuna could've been subjected to as a child, I'd like to discuss why someone as masculine as him would be associated with women's work in the first place.

The Treatment of Women in Ancient Japan

"In Japan prior to the Heian and Kamakura periods, women played prominent roles in religious activities as miko, which was akin to a female medium or female shaman...Since miko functioned as a sacred and integral part in religious communities, issues of impurity did not appear to be an issue. Instead, it was Buddhist ideas that linked the female form to impurity."

With the introduction of Buddhism, women began to be seen as innately impure due to the blood and fluids associated with childbirth and mensuration.

"In the Heian period, Buddhist temples such as such as Enryakuji and Tōdaiji, began barring women from entering the premises due to their defiled nature."

"prominent Buddhist discourse painted women as innately defiled and therefore unable to achieve enlightenment in their own female bodies."

"To be born as an innately defiled female was considered a karmic punishment for past actions."

Though not ostracized as much as outcasts, women were seen as innately unclean in a similar vein to Sukuna. Women were expelled from religious institutions but not the courts, while outcasts were tolerated by religious institutions and barred from the courts. (The courts and temples operated independently of each other, which is why it was possible for noble women to hold power despite being designated as unclean.)

A few months ago I made a joke about this panel:

"Sukuna’s two options were helping Uraume transition or becoming a girl himself."

This is still mostly a joke, but I do think Sukuna identifies more with women than with men. Not that Sukuna is a girl, but that he relates to them and their struggles better. (Keep in mind he does wear a women's yukata and a men's obi at the same time as Yujikuna.)

It's important to note is that this mystery woman here wears the clothes of a Miko or Shrine Maiden/Priestess—the main group of women that was displaced and persecuted because of the new religious doctrine. And like every other group without a proper social safety net, selling themselves into slavery became a survival strategy. They did have other options of course. In the case of Asobi, the Priestess that used to serve the courts, turned to entertainment and sex work after their exclusion.

"Either riding in boats or setting up shop on busy routes to the capital and religious sites, Goodwin argues that these performers were part of independent, possibly female-run organizations, which were not stigmatized until the later part of the Kamakura period. However, as Wakita Haruko has examined, at least some women involved in sexual entertainment were female indentured servants, serving as security on a loan issued by their parents."

In this way, the exact identity of the Miko in Sukuna's path may not matter. She might be a representation of those who accepted their exclusion and did their best to survive on society's terms. If the South choice is meant to represent returning to who Sukuna used to be, then it can also mean the types of struggles Mikos faced are his as well.

However, there was a temple that continued to accept women as followers—the Muroji Temple in Nara. Interestingly enough, this temple contains an inner sanctuary devoted to the founder of Shingon Buddhism, the type of Buddhism Tengen brought over. The mountain this temple is located on is also associated with a dragon spirit. Since there is historical precedent of at least one temple accepting a group of people seen as innately impure, a place like this may have also been a sanctuary for Sukuna.

With the information we have, it's not really possible to know exactly what awful thing happened to Sukuna. The most important takeaway from this is that the suffering he experienced was systemic. He didn't get unlucky with a few ignorant and bad people. This was the direct result of the Heian class system dehumanizing people. In other words, his choices were severely limited.

Sukuna's Other Choice

Going North with Uraume appears to be very similar what he did back in the Heian—taking in an abandoned child and looking after them. What makes this choice slightly different this time around is that the class system that oppressed him no longer exists in the modern era. Yes, he’ll absolutely face discrimination for being deformed, but the complete denial of his humanity at every turn for his appearance is gone. He won’t be treated as untouchable and inherently evil. Legally speaking, he has drastically more rights. Violence won’t be his only option moving up in the world.

I will always loathe that Sukuna had to die to obtain this. And that the “reformed” modern Jujutsu Society refuses to acknowledge the systemic failures of their institution. Kusakabe makes it very clear he still believes the immediate extermination of anything deemed “evil” is a valid way to go about things, even if it means the death of a child…as long as he doesn’t have to do it. (Hence him blaming Gojo for it, just like the higher ups.) After the fight, everyone passes blame around, absolves themselves of any wrongdoing, and decides no one is really at fault.

There were people at fault for this. There are institutions at fault for this. But their failure to confront those things directly is probably why Sukuna rejected Yuji’s offer so viciously. Instead of trying to understand Sukuna on his own terms, Yuji showed him the value of a simple life he was never allowed to have, then told him to die or go back into the cage.

Yuji offered Sukuna pity but no autonomy, which is exactly the way Hinin were treated by the religious institutions of old.

"However, Hosokawa argues that even in veneration of hinin as representations of Manjusri, Buddhist monks continue to discriminate against this outcast group and further perpetuate their low position in society. Hosokawa explains that although activity involved in charitable works towards hinin, Eison cared little about the salvation of hinin because he saw outcasts as divine only within the context of the ritual of assembly. Therefore, all charitable works directed at hinin were merely ceremonial. Hosokawa advocates the view that Eison believed hinin lacked ‘nature,’ meaning they were unable to study or practice Buddhism. Essentially, without nature, they had no ability to escape the cycle of re-birth through the study of Buddhism."

Sukuna even thinks of modern sorcerers like the ones of old. Why would he ever want to return to that?

His goals are simple; eat, play, and pass time until his dies. That’s not really evil now is it? But the people attacking him don’t know that. None of them ever stopped to asked because they assume him existing freely will bring evil.

But what does Sukuna do when he’s given a month-long truce a body he completely controls? He does what every minority group does when they are no longer being actively oppresed—he rests. He doesn’t go around killing or tormenting for fun. With his newfound freedom he secludes himself and lounges.

The fight in Shinjuku is essentially a group of well-meaning people from a corrupt institution beating an outcast that was ostracized by it into submission. Albeit for very good reasons.

Why did this fight change his mind?

If Sukuna is basically reliving past trauma via the Shinjuku fight, why did he decide this group of sorcerers was worth listening to? The simple answer of course is he lost to them. Sukuna believes the strong impose their will and the weak follow suit.

I don’t think that’s quite right. Sukuna used to be weak too. He was a child once. He used to controlled by others stronger than him. By his own logic he should’ve stayed like that, but he trained to get stronger and eventually rebelled.

Since Sukuna is a known liar and hides his feelings under several layers of repression, I’m inclined to believe this statement is also smokescreen. And after reading the Uraume Epilogue I am certain of this. But for now let’s revisit the Shinjuku fight, starting from the battle that made me realize Sukuna is indeed a pathetic sopping wet cat underneath it all—Sukuna vs Gojo.

Sukuna vs Gojo

Something fans picked up on during this fight was how Gojo dogwalked Sukuna when it came to Hand to Hand (H2H) combat. During their fight, Sukuna fails to land a single punch on Gojo’s face. It takes Yuta possessing Gojo’s body and fumbling around in it for Sukuna to finally punch that face. But it’s not just Gojo he sucks at with H2H combat. It’s everyone. Here is a compilation of Sukuna getting hit in the head or face.

This seems to conflict with Sukuna’s ability to learn anything visually. He sees someone do something and he can copy it immediately. This contradiction can be explained by him being Hinin.

Sukuna was considered an untouchable. Educated people were of a higher class and believed unclean things like him were to be avoided at all costs. This means that whatever education Sukuna obtained for himself was always at a distance. Aka watch and copy. And since H2H is mostly taught through body to body contact, Sukuna wasn’t allowed a proper sparing partner outside of the attempts to kill him.

In Part 2, I go over Sukuna’s fraud allegations for his copying of Gojo in particular. This is what lead me to realize that Sukuna spent 6 months plotting to kill a guy he met for 10 seconds. This insane level of pre-planning is also shaped by him being Hinin.

We know for a fact that Sukuna hunts deer/elk and that it’s safe to assume he driven to this because of his Hinin status. If you know anything about hunting, it’s that most of it is playing psychological mind games with creatures that are somehow complete geniuses despite having 2 brain cells. You don’t chase after a deer with a gun, you become obsessed with them. You study every little habit of theirs; when they hunger, what they eat, and where they defecate. Using this information, you set up the bait and wait in hiding for the perfect opportunity to kill them.

This is pretty much what Sukuna does to Gojo. He’s got a hunter’s obsession with him. In Part 4, I explain how this obsession might actually be unhinged courtship, but I don’t lay out why Gojo of all people seemingly means this much to Sukuna. This too can be explained by him being Hinin.

I’ve said it over and over, Gojo and Sukuna are twin flames. They are the strongest, isolated, dehumanized, exploited, self-taught, and really bad at showing affection. Part of this obsession is driven by Sukuna seeing himself in Gojo. He's being ordered around by others weaker than him in the same way Sukuna used to be.

But take note of this “I owe you a debt.” It’s easy to assume he means payback for punching him in the face. However…Gojo did actually do Sukuna a massive favor. He suspended his execution, even if it was primarily to save Yuji.

As I discussed before, Kegare was infectious. You touch something unclean and you become unclean yourself. By laws of Jujutsu Society and by social stigma around Kegare, Sukuna made Yuji equally as impure as himself. And Gojo went screw that, I’m going to look after you. He gave Yuji direct lessons, made sure all his basic needs were met, and treated him like a human. Behind everyone’s backs he hid the final finger, intending to let Yuji live for the duration of his natural life.

To Sukuna, Gojo is someone who would have taken him in and advocated for his humanity under different circumstances. Gojo is someone Sukuna would’ve loved to have as a teacher. And so he copies him. He learns and improves his own sorcery as if Gojo had intentionally taught him.

Through the Shinjuku fight, his experiences within Yuji, and Megumi’s memories, Sukuna gets a taste of what could’ve been. With Megumi in particular, he also gets to see what it’s like to be raised by someone who actually cares. Though not intentional, this is how Gojo teaches Sukuna love. This is why when Sukuna looks at Gojo, he thinks about love.

Sukuna choosing to go with Uraume is him copying Gojo one last time. After seeing that even if you’re isolated, exploited, and miserable, there’s still fulfillment in using your power to make sure someone else doesn’t go through what you did. It may not remove all that pain, but it makes it easier.

And bringing back Kegare’s opposite Hare (晴れ). The kanji used are in the Appare Da (天晴れだ) when Sukuna tells Gojo, “You cleared my skies.” (The Da at the end of this statement means it was pretty heartfelt too.) With this additional context, I think it can be taken to also mean that Gojo made Sukuna feel like he wasn’t impure.

Sukuna vs Yuji

Yuji and Megumi are the ones who ultimately make Sukuna realize that it's worth pursing guardianship regardless of marital status or blood relation. They are the two of Gojo’s students/children that are directly compared to Uraume.

Yuji who is also the same as Sukuna, fills the role of Gojo when he first chooses to look after Megumi. When he prevents Megumi from being sold by his father. Sukuna has seen both versions of this memory.

Since Sukuna is a twin to Wasuke and they are also the same, JJK 265 is Yuji showing Sukuna an entire alternate universe of the normal life he could've lived if he had been seen as human.

And even if he can’t ever be seen as human or live normally, Megumi tells him it’s ok to be improper and cherish someone anyways.

None of these 3 realize how greatly they’ve affected Sukuna. He barely admits to it even in death. But Sukuna had secretly wanted this from the start. The cracks started showing when he first tried to teach Megumi in his special little tsundere shark way.

There's also something to be said about Uraume making it to adulthood in a time where famine was rampant and parents would sell their children into slavery just to eat. Their cursed technique manifested around the age of 6, just like Megumi. The fact they survived means Sukuna was already doing a pretty good job as their guardian.

Other Things this Changes

I'm also looking at Sukuna's fondness towards Jogo in a whole new light. I thought that Jogo wanting nothing of him was the main reason he was favored. But there's more to it that that. It’s that he regards Sukuna’s life as inherently valuable. Jogo believes in a world where Sukuna has the right to exist as he is and how he wants. No one will try to control him or condemn him for something he had no say in.

He also stands out in his devotion to curses of any background. Mahito basically looks like a human, Choso and his brothers are half human, Sukuna is fully human, and Jogo accepts them all no questions asked. He’s willing to fight for people who exist differently than himself.

There's also that added “wanting to be seen as human” element. Jogo’s world is one where Sukuna would finally be seen as human. It’s the same logic that drove Choso to side with the Disaster Curses. He knew how difficult human society would make the lives of his brothers (both of which have 2 faces like conjoined twins), so he chose to fight for a world where that kind of discrimination no longer existed. (Which is why it's really sad he died and no one mourned him properly.)

And yes we can condemn the mass slaughter of humans as the wrong way to go about this. But the core problem is that Jujutsu Society branded them as taboo and in need of extermination or containment. They were driven into a corner and believed violence was the only way out. The only reason Choso was able to change was other sorcerers giving him a chance despite the hurt he caused. Something Sukuna didn't get outside of the offer to be caged.

Am I being too lenient with Sukuna here?

Absolutely. I am extremely biased.

To me at least, the type of "evil" Sukuna is has a lot nuance. It is very significant that someone as strong as him, who could basically do whatever he wanted (theoretically), took one willing servant in a time where slavery was widely practiced. (If you read the linked document, it's kind of up for debate how legal slavery was at the time.) It's also significant that the Heian crimes he was accused of were limited to cannibalism and murder. He's clearly got rules about his evilness and I really like that about him. I wanted to find the logic driving them and I think I've finally struck gold.

This didn't fit anywhere nicely. But consider the following:

"Earthly sins, on the other hand, were those that only affected individuals or forbidden actions, such as rape or cutting living flesh."

Sukuna's CT cuts living flesh. His very CT was considered impure in the Heian. The flames however, are more aligned with purification. It's just a neat little thing that shows Sukuna's duality imo.

He's also really good at archery. And though this is likely because his flame CT is a bow, he probably got good at it to hunt deer/elk on top of temple duties. (Just another way he enjoys corrupting the divine.)

But please remember, the only reason I've done all of this is because of Umineko's...

Without love, it cannot be seen.

#cactus yaps #Read Challenges to Survival: Responses of Outcasts and Commoners in Early Medieval Japan and Umineko now!#Posts that make it obvious I defended Edelgard on Twitter.#I've been running PR for Zelgius and Sephiran Fire Emblem since forever and they do so much worse than Sukuna.#Same type of trauma though. I will always defend minorities going insane from systemic discrimination.#Kind of wild that Sukuna's possession of Megumi can be read as evil adoption now. Thanks Uraume Epilogue.#When Sukuna looks at Gojo he not only thinks of love but raising a child. What did Gege mean by this?#Vaguely Sukugo but it's certainly a footnote compared to the rest of this.#Anyone versed in Japanese history PLEASE fact check me.#ryomen sukuna #jujutsu kaisen #jjk spoilers #jjk meta

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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“Humans in the loop” must detect the hardest-to-spot errors, at superhuman speed

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me SATURDAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

If AI has a future (a big if), it will have to be economically viable. An industry can't spend 1,700% more on Nvidia chips than it earns indefinitely – not even with Nvidia being a principle investor in its largest customers:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39883571

A company that pays 0.36-1 cents/query for electricity and (scarce, fresh) water can't indefinitely give those queries away by the millions to people who are expected to revise those queries dozens of times before eliciting the perfect botshit rendition of "instructions for removing a grilled cheese sandwich from a VCR in the style of the King James Bible":

https://www.semianalysis.com/p/the-inference-cost-of-search-disruption

Eventually, the industry will have to uncover some mix of applications that will cover its operating costs, if only to keep the lights on in the face of investor disillusionment (this isn't optional – investor disillusionment is an inevitable part of every bubble).

Now, there are lots of low-stakes applications for AI that can run just fine on the current AI technology, despite its many – and seemingly inescapable - errors ("hallucinations"). People who use AI to generate illustrations of their D&D characters engaged in epic adventures from their previous gaming session don't care about the odd extra finger. If the chatbot powering a tourist's automatic text-to-translation-to-speech phone tool gets a few words wrong, it's still much better than the alternative of speaking slowly and loudly in your own language while making emphatic hand-gestures.

There are lots of these applications, and many of the people who benefit from them would doubtless pay something for them. The problem – from an AI company's perspective – is that these aren't just low-stakes, they're also low-value. Their users would pay something for them, but not very much.

For AI to keep its servers on through the coming trough of disillusionment, it will have to locate high-value applications, too. Economically speaking, the function of low-value applications is to soak up excess capacity and produce value at the margins after the high-value applications pay the bills. Low-value applications are a side-dish, like the coach seats on an airplane whose total operating expenses are paid by the business class passengers up front. Without the principle income from high-value applications, the servers shut down, and the low-value applications disappear:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Now, there are lots of high-value applications the AI industry has identified for its products. Broadly speaking, these high-value applications share the same problem: they are all high-stakes, which means they are very sensitive to errors. Mistakes made by apps that produce code, drive cars, or identify cancerous masses on chest X-rays are extremely consequential.

Some businesses may be insensitive to those consequences. Air Canada replaced its human customer service staff with chatbots that just lied to passengers, stealing hundreds of dollars from them in the process. But the process for getting your money back after you are defrauded by Air Canada's chatbot is so onerous that only one passenger has bothered to go through it, spending ten weeks exhausting all of Air Canada's internal review mechanisms before fighting his case for weeks more at the regulator:

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/air-canada-s-chatbot-gave-a-b-c-man-the-wrong-information-now-the-airline-has-to-pay-for-the-mistake-1.6769454

There's never just one ant. If this guy was defrauded by an AC chatbot, so were hundreds or thousands of other fliers. Air Canada doesn't have to pay them back. Air Canada is tacitly asserting that, as the country's flagship carrier and near-monopolist, it is too big to fail and too big to jail, which means it's too big to care.

Air Canada shows that for some business customers, AI doesn't need to be able to do a worker's job in order to be a smart purchase: a chatbot can replace a worker, fail to their worker's job, and still save the company money on balance.

I can't predict whether the world's sociopathic monopolists are numerous and powerful enough to keep the lights on for AI companies through leases for automation systems that let them commit consequence-free free fraud by replacing workers with chatbots that serve as moral crumple-zones for furious customers:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563219304029

But even stipulating that this is sufficient, it's intrinsically unstable. Anything that can't go on forever eventually stops, and the mass replacement of humans with high-speed fraud software seems likely to stoke the already blazing furnace of modern antitrust:

https://www.eff.org/de/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

Of course, the AI companies have their own answer to this conundrum. A high-stakes/high-value customer can still fire workers and replace them with AI – they just need to hire fewer, cheaper workers to supervise the AI and monitor it for "hallucinations." This is called the "human in the loop" solution.

The human in the loop story has some glaring holes. From a worker's perspective, serving as the human in the loop in a scheme that cuts wage bills through AI is a nightmare – the worst possible kind of automation.

Let's pause for a little detour through automation theory here. Automation can augment a worker. We can call this a "centaur" – the worker offloads a repetitive task, or one that requires a high degree of vigilance, or (worst of all) both. They're a human head on a robot body (hence "centaur"). Think of the sensor/vision system in your car that beeps if you activate your turn-signal while a car is in your blind spot. You're in charge, but you're getting a second opinion from the robot.

Likewise, consider an AI tool that double-checks a radiologist's diagnosis of your chest X-ray and suggests a second look when its assessment doesn't match the radiologist's. Again, the human is in charge, but the robot is serving as a backstop and helpmeet, using its inexhaustible robotic vigilance to augment human skill.

That's centaurs. They're the good automation. Then there's the bad automation: the reverse-centaur, when the human is used to augment the robot.

Amazon warehouse pickers stand in one place while robotic shelving units trundle up to them at speed; then, the haptic bracelets shackled around their wrists buzz at them, directing them pick up specific items and move them to a basket, while a third automation system penalizes them for taking toilet breaks or even just walking around and shaking out their limbs to avoid a repetitive strain injury. This is a robotic head using a human body – and destroying it in the process.

An AI-assisted radiologist processes fewer chest X-rays every day, costing their employer more, on top of the cost of the AI. That's not what AI companies are selling. They're offering hospitals the power to create reverse centaurs: radiologist-assisted AIs. That's what "human in the loop" means.

This is a problem for workers, but it's also a problem for their bosses (assuming those bosses actually care about correcting AI hallucinations, rather than providing a figleaf that lets them commit fraud or kill people and shift the blame to an unpunishable AI).

Humans are good at a lot of things, but they're not good at eternal, perfect vigilance. Writing code is hard, but performing code-review (where you check someone else's code for errors) is much harder – and it gets even harder if the code you're reviewing is usually fine, because this requires that you maintain your vigilance for something that only occurs at rare and unpredictable intervals:

https://twitter.com/qntm/status/1773779967521780169

But for a coding shop to make the cost of an AI pencil out, the human in the loop needs to be able to process a lot of AI-generated code. Replacing a human with an AI doesn't produce any savings if you need to hire two more humans to take turns doing close reads of the AI's code.

This is the fatal flaw in robo-taxi schemes. The "human in the loop" who is supposed to keep the murderbot from smashing into other cars, steering into oncoming traffic, or running down pedestrians isn't a driver, they're a driving instructor. This is a much harder job than being a driver, even when the student driver you're monitoring is a human, making human mistakes at human speed. It's even harder when the student driver is a robot, making errors at computer speed:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/01/human-in-the-loop/#monkey-in-the-middle

This is why the doomed robo-taxi company Cruise had to deploy 1.5 skilled, high-paid human monitors to oversee each of its murderbots, while traditional taxis operate at a fraction of the cost with a single, precaratized, low-paid human driver:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

The vigilance problem is pretty fatal for the human-in-the-loop gambit, but there's another problem that is, if anything, even more fatal: the kinds of errors that AIs make.

Foundationally, AI is applied statistics. An AI company trains its AI by feeding it a lot of data about the real world. The program processes this data, looking for statistical correlations in that data, and makes a model of the world based on those correlations. A chatbot is a next-word-guessing program, and an AI "art" generator is a next-pixel-guessing program. They're drawing on billions of documents to find the most statistically likely way of finishing a sentence or a line of pixels in a bitmap:

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3442188.3445922

This means that AI doesn't just make errors – it makes subtle errors, the kinds of errors that are the hardest for a human in the loop to spot, because they are the most statistically probable ways of being wrong. Sure, we notice the gross errors in AI output, like confidently claiming that a living human is dead:

https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/according-to-chatgpt-im-dead

But the most common errors that AIs make are the ones we don't notice, because they're perfectly camouflaged as the truth. Think of the recurring AI programming error that inserts a call to a nonexistent library called "huggingface-cli," which is what the library would be called if developers reliably followed naming conventions. But due to a human inconsistency, the real library has a slightly different name. The fact that AIs repeatedly inserted references to the nonexistent library opened up a vulnerability – a security researcher created a (inert) malicious library with that name and tricked numerous companies into compiling it into their code because their human reviewers missed the chatbot's (statistically indistinguishable from the the truth) lie:

https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/28/ai_bots_hallucinate_software_packages/

For a driving instructor or a code reviewer overseeing a human subject, the majority of errors are comparatively easy to spot, because they're the kinds of errors that lead to inconsistent library naming – places where a human behaved erratically or irregularly. But when reality is irregular or erratic, the AI will make errors by presuming that things are statistically normal.

These are the hardest kinds of errors to spot. They couldn't be harder for a human to detect if they were specifically designed to go undetected. The human in the loop isn't just being asked to spot mistakes – they're being actively deceived. The AI isn't merely wrong, it's constructing a subtle "what's wrong with this picture"-style puzzle. Not just one such puzzle, either: millions of them, at speed, which must be solved by the human in the loop, who must remain perfectly vigilant for things that are, by definition, almost totally unnoticeable.

This is a special new torment for reverse centaurs – and a significant problem for AI companies hoping to accumulate and keep enough high-value, high-stakes customers on their books to weather the coming trough of disillusionment.

This is pretty grim, but it gets grimmer. AI companies have argued that they have a third line of business, a way to make money for their customers beyond automation's gifts to their payrolls: they claim that they can perform difficult scientific tasks at superhuman speed, producing billion-dollar insights (new materials, new drugs, new proteins) at unimaginable speed.

However, these claims – credulously amplified by the non-technical press – keep on shattering when they are tested by experts who understand the esoteric domains in which AI is said to have an unbeatable advantage. For example, Google claimed that its Deepmind AI had discovered "millions of new materials," "equivalent to nearly 800 years’ worth of knowledge," constituting "an order-of-magnitude expansion in stable materials known to humanity":

https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/millions-of-new-materials-discovered-with-deep-learning/

It was a hoax. When independent material scientists reviewed representative samples of these "new materials," they concluded that "no new materials have been discovered" and that not one of these materials was "credible, useful and novel":

https://www.404media.co/google-says-it-discovered-millions-of-new-materials-with-ai-human-researchers/

As Brian Merchant writes, AI claims are eerily similar to "smoke and mirrors" – the dazzling reality-distortion field thrown up by 17th century magic lantern technology, which millions of people ascribed wild capabilities to, thanks to the outlandish claims of the technology's promoters:

https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/ai-really-is-smoke-and-mirrors

The fact that we have a four-hundred-year-old name for this phenomenon, and yet we're still falling prey to it is frankly a little depressing. And, unlucky for us, it turns out that AI therapybots can't help us with this – rather, they're apt to literally convince us to kill ourselves:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkadgm/man-dies-by-suicide-after-talking-with-ai-chatbot-widow-says

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/23/maximal-plausibility/#reverse-centaurs

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #ai #automation #humans in the loop #centaurs #reverse centaurs #labor #ai safety #sanity checks #spot the mistake #code review #driving instructor

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goyardgoyangi · 3 months ago

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𐙚 busy woman pt. 1 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

⌗ pairings: eren x reader, slight! erwin x reader

⌗ summary: you don’t believe in fate, but you do believe in probability. the odds of running into a stupidly attractive guy at a highly competitive internship interview? low. the odds of him rejecting you? …higher. the odds of ending up in the same program — and on the same project team after all that? practically zero. and yet, here you are.

⌗ word count: 1.2k

♥ pt. 2 ♥ masterlist ♥

The first time you see him, he’s sitting across from you in Amazon’s sleek, modern lobby, scrolling through his phone with an air of boredom. His long hair falls effortlessly over his shoulders, framing sharp green eyes, and the all-black outfit he’s wearing only adds to the effortlessly cool aura he exudes. It’s infuriating.

The other candidates in the lobby are visibly tense— eyes darting across their laptop screens, reviewing LeetCode problems like their lives depend on it. Meanwhile, he looks like he just rolled out of bed and showed up for fun. He’s probably the type to start coding projects the night they’re due and still get a perfect score. The type who never second-guesses himself in a technical interview. The type who coasts through life on sheer talent.

It’s hard not to be at least a little resentful, especially in this job market. You sent out over 200 applications, grinded through a grueling technical screening, and sacrificed weeks of sleep just for this shot. And here he is, looking like he has nothing to worry about.

You fidget with your fingers, trying to shake off your pre-interview nerves. Maybe he’s a nepo baby. Maybe his dad is a senior dev here, and this interview is just a formality. That scenario isn’t unheard of. There’s no way a normal college student would be that calm right now.

You sigh, letting your mind wander to all the K-dramas you’ve watched about office romances. Out of the sea of awkward, smelly, socially inept CS major guys, he’s like a rare exception— the kind of guy who actually looks good while coding. Gosh, imagine if someone like him was your coworker. Debugging wouldn’t be so miserable if you were pulling all-nighters next to a guy like that. If only.

You’re still lost in your little fantasy when a voice snaps you back to reality.

“The next interview group, please come forward.”

Your name is called first.

And then—

“Eren Yeager.”

Oh.

You glance at him from the corner of your eye as he stands, stretching lazily before trailing after the recruiter. As he walks past, you catch the faintest whiff of something clean and expensive, so unfairly good.

Life really isn’t fair. Not only is he ridiculously good-looking, but he’s also tall. And he smells good.

You force yourself to refocus, but as you follow the recruiter inside, the awareness of him lingers, making your heart rate spike even more. You shouldn’t care— he’s just another candidate, really, just another competitor. You should be silently praying for his downfall. But something about the way he carries himself, so effortlessly confident, only makes you hyper-aware of your own unease.

By the time you’re seated, you push all unnecessary thoughts aside.

The interview goes well— better than well, actually. You answer the behavioral questions smoothly (after rehearsing them so many times you could probably recite the prompts in your sleep), showcase your problem-solving and people skills (shoutout to all those painfully competitive career workshops from uni), and even throw in a few well-placed jokes that make your interviewers smile (carefully crafted after an embarrassingly deep dive into their LinkedIn profiles).

By the time you walk out, you feel good— so good that, on a wild impulse that not even your obsessive need to be prepared could have accounted for, you find yourself stopping in front of Eren by the elevators. He’s leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone like he has nowhere to be.

“Hey,” you say.

He looks up, surprised. His sharp green eyes flick over you, taking you in for a moment before he responds. “Hey.”

You hesitate for half a second. Then, before you can overthink it, you say, “We were in the same interview group, and I think you’re really cute. Would you wanna go out sometime?”

Eren blinks. He wasn’t expecting that. Hell, even you weren’t expecting that. But when someone has a face card like his, sometimes you just have to shoot your shot.

Then— silence. A long, excruciating pause. The kind that stretches just long enough to make you wonder if you sounded creepy. Oh god. Maybe you came off weird. Or desperate. Or worse— maybe he thinks you’re completely out of his league, and not in the fun, delusional way.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he exhales, his gaze flicking over you once more before taking out an airpod to bluntly say, “I don’t really date.”

Oh.

You try your best not to let the rejection sting for too long. After all, Eren’s gorgeous and probably gets asked out by girls all the time—enough to build immunity to it. What could you say? Beautiful people should date other beautiful people, and even with your fair share of self-confidence, you felt deep down that he was out of your league.

But your obsession with being prepared had its perks. It helped you be adaptable in situations like this. “No worries,” you say smoothly, flashing him a casual grin (one you practiced in front of the bathroom mirror, imagining hypothetical situations like this) like it’s no big deal— despite the fact that your heart feels like it’s been stomped on. “Good luck with the internship.”

And with that, you turn and leave down the stairs, pretending like it never happened.

A month later, you get the acceptance email.

You’re beyond thrilled— thrilled when you (finally) announce your highly coveted internship at frickin’ Amazon, thrilled when you go out to the club with your girlfriends to celebrate the end of internship application season, and thrilled when you hear about the sweet, sweet pay (which you’re already planning to save up for a winter break trip to go snowboarding) during the Zoom onboarding meeting.

You’re so thrilled, in fact, that you can’t imagine anything ruining your high. That is, until you walk into orientation and see a very familiar face sitting at one of the tables.

Eren Yeager.

His gaze flicks up as you enter, recognition flashing in his eyes. For a split second, neither of you says anything. You freeze, feeling your face flushing with heat. He holds your gaze for what feels like an eternity before you break it, quickly looking down at the floor, mortified beyond belief. The probability of this happening was practically zero.

And yet, here he is.

You tug at the hem of your newly bought shirt from Mango (a mini present to yourself to celebrate landing the internship of your dreams, the pinnacle of what your college experience had amounted to on your resume), trying to distract yourself, but nothing can shake the immense embarrassment you feel.

To make matters worse, the project manager steps to the front of the room and announces, “Alright, summer interns! You’ll be working in assigned dev groups for the summer. Let’s introduce you to your teams.”

You can already feel the impending doom, as if the universe and all its forces are conspiring against you. What were the chances? Your opps must’ve gotten together in a group chat and ordered the most expensive bootleg spell from Etsy to make sure this moment— your moment, the one you’ve worked your butt off for— was as awkward as humanly possible.

You knew life was getting too good to be true.

#linkedin huzz is interning at amazon this year..without me...#fawkkkk #at my first internship ever i asked a guy out in front of an elevator and when he said no #i had to do the walk of shame down the emergency exit stairs bc i was too embarrassed to enter the elevator with him #never ask someone out in front of an elevator #eren x reader #eren x you #eren x y/n #eren yeager x reader #eren yeager x you #eren yeager x y/n #eren jeager x reader #eren jeager x you #aot x reader

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searchingforserendipity25 · 3 months ago

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considering that lawrence is a mystery fan i like to believe that he's the guy in charge of accurate-checking vatican thrillers. all vatican thrillers. maybe this is what the dean of the college does when the pope is not recently dead and in need of being replaced.

do not fact check this. at least for the purpose of this post let us say thomas cardinal lawrence does it.

he and his book-canon career in canon law and diplomacy are used to fullest effect in this task. namely in being the guy who rereads best-selling novels and who is asked to consult for several publishers.

there's schlocky thrillers and there's horror novels of varying qualitiesand vast quantities. that's how it starts.

it does not end like that. mysteries and sometimes decent ones too; a few times when he's ghostwriting as much as offering advice on ecclesiastical hierarchies.

if only! no. mostly because there is a surprising need for an insider's input and information on possible alcoves and hidden rooms. not just for stories full of chases and secret fantastical reliquaries with more magical than miraculous qualities and what not. but because the number of vatican-centric romances is - not inconsiderable.

so many romances. sometimes erotica. in fact the erotica tends to be the most well-researched genre; this audience genuinely appreciates a well-described fresco and column. artistic detail, one of his long-distance authors tells him earnestly, makes up for half the ambience.

he had to outsource vatican historians to get proper feedback on a narrative taking place before 1850 and involving a rakish anti-monarchist count masquerading as an archbishop.

the rakish anti-monarchist faux-bishop falls in love with the pope's chaplain during the risorgimento and finds god between the pope's chaplain's charitable spiritual guidance and his generous thighs.

none of those learned and brilliant minds and once-valued colleagues has ever ever ever forgiven him for this. the frescoes were a very clever red herring and the author was extremely thankful. but at what cost.

why does he do this? because he values accuracy. because someone has to. because he lost a bet to sabbadin one time and had to consult for a friend of a friend's manuscript and then got recommended. because he's made a name for himself.

he reviews everything. he adds helpful commentary and recommends bibliography and suggests a better arrangement of limbs considering the relative inflexibility of various prie-dieus and confessional boots on the knees and various other appendages. he's a manager. he can't rest if he doesn't do it, and do it well.

and the worst part is that these things never stop being written and they never stop being published. his work is never ending. he had to beta-read the da vinci's code like three times. with edits on the application of mortification tools and painstaking pages of research on the unlikelihood of the plot and excruciatingly accurate architectural details which didn't even end up being relevant to the narrative.

and then he had take on all the internal flack about it and explain to several offended old men that no. in fact: media bans are not a thing; censure is not a thing; the yoke of the inquisition alas no longer a thing and not to be applied by flame or flog against such calumny.

no wonder he's trapped in a crisis of faith. i'd stop believing in god too.

#thomas lawrence #conclave #cardinal lawrence #conclave 2024

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project-lumen · 5 months ago

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》》 The LUMEN M-AHA-sterpost 《《

It was a-BAM time.

Hi hello there, fellow Life Series enjoyers! Arto, Pinkish and Kori here, live from our Game-Making Void bringing to you our comprehensive list of resources in one post for easier access and navigation!

Here you'll find our current status, some important links to other posts, as well as an overview of our tags and a handy F.A.Q. section :3

Without further ado, thank you so much, all info is under the cut!

》Status《

Date Format: [DD/MM/YY]

Current mission: APPLICATION ROUND 2 OVER AND DONE! CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIRD LIFE DEMO.

》Other Socials《

Bluesky

Youtube Channel

Our public Discord!

A Secret :3

》Links《

First announcement: Applications

Meet the team!

Second announcement: Our official art guide

Essential info

Arto's lore scraps

》Tags!《

#projectLUMENasks : For every single one of the questions we have answered so far!

》F.A.Q.《

What is this?

Project LUMEN is an effort to bring the Life Series to life in a brand new way, in videogame form! A RPG of sorts with battle mechanics, interaction with npcs, our own unique spin in Watcher Lore, changing art styles and multiple endings with a bunch of mechanics we need to keep secret for now but we know you all will enjoy, at least we hope so.

Cool, how can I contribute?

We want LUMEN to be a game by the community for the community, a tribute to all the wonderful artists, writers and creatives of all kinds. And it is a HUGE project, as such, all help is appreciated. We plan to open applications from time to time to recruit people as passionate as us into our little team. But everyone can lend a hand if they so desire, all ideas, all likes, all reblogs, all comments, all art, is truly, genuinely appreciated. Project LUMEN is completely non-profit, a passion project turned group effort that we are willing to pour our heart into, and we want to be as transparent as possible with it.

How will development of the game itself go?

As for specifications, Kori is the one in charge of the coding department, we are going to use Unity and C# to program everything, Arto will manage music and Pinkish will be in charge of the Martyn and Ren section. But once we review our first batch of applications, we will contact our chosen ones with more details, either for character sprites, script or any other miscellaneous things. We will all be working together as a team, each contributing as much as they so desire.

We will then take to developing our early alpha build including our very first couple of chapters, and release it for playtesting, then we will take all the feedback and make the pertinent changes. We will improve the game and continue developing until we have an almost finished beta build that we will then publish for testing. Take all the criticism again to finally reveal our finished product. Releasing first on itch io and then hopefully ported into Newgrounds for mobile compatibility.

Is there a release date?

As of now, we'd rather not promise anything. But we are actively working on development, and we hope to, at the very least, have a playable alpha demo at the end of this year.

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dostoyevsky-official · 5 months ago

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Musk associates given unfettered access to private data of government employees

Several of Elon Musk’s associates installed at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have received unprecedented access to federal human resources databases containing sensitive personal information for millions of federal employees. According to two members of OPM staff with direct knowledge, the Musk team running OPM has the ability to extract information from databases that store medical histories, personally identifiable information, workplace evaluations, and other private data. [...] The arrangement presents acute privacy and security risks, one of the OPM staffers said. [...] The civil servants who oversee the OPM’s information technology services were then instructed to provide access to Musk's associates, according to the OPM staffers who spoke to Musk Watch. One of the OPM staffers received an email from the agency’s new leadership instructing them to give Musk’s team “access [to] the system as an admin user" and "code read and write permissions." “They have access to the code itself, which means they can make updates to anything that they want,” the staffer explained. USAJOBS, the federal government’s official hiring site, was one of the systems that Musk's associates were given access to. The database stores personal information — Social Security numbers, home addresses, employment records — provided by private individuals who have applied for federal jobs, regardless of whether the applicants went on to work for the government. Musk’s aides were also given access to the OPM’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) system. Contained within the EHRI are the Social Security numbers, dates of birth, salaries, home addresses, and job descriptions of all civil government workers, along with any disciplinary actions they have faced. “They’re looking through all the position descriptions… to remove folks,” one of the OPM staffers said of Musk’s team. “This is how they found all these DEI offices and had them removed — [by] reviewing position description level data.” Other databases Musk’s team has access to include USA Staffing, an onboarding system; USA Performance, a job performance review site; and HI, which the government uses to manage employee health care. “The health insurance one scares me because it's HIPAA [protected] information, but they have access to all this stuff,” the OPM staffer noted.

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sapphicandgraphic · 2 months ago

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The Mary Celeste — Chapter 2

Synopsis: You’re a grad student who starts digging into a decades-old unsolved mystery for your thesis. When you uncover a dark conspiracy, you’re forced to enlist the help of your reluctant professor, Agatha Harkness.

Chapter: 2/10 (The Professor)

Series Warnings: Academic suspense, historical intrigue, enemies to lovers, eventual smut, fem reader, age difference, WLW

Chapter Warnings: None?

————-

You slept fitfully that night, waking up more than once tangled in your sheets, a cold sweat clinging to your skin. When you finally rolled out of bed, the tendrils of a dream were still swirling and evaporating in your head—something to do with a witch, a clock tower, a full moon. But the harder you tried to remember the details, the foggier they became.

You opened your laptop and found a terse email in your inbox from Professor Harkness inviting you to an early meeting at the end of the week.

No, you thought bitterly, scanning the email again. Not inviting—summoning. She wanted an outline of your research to-date, and a detailed overview of how you planned to leverage department resources during your fellowship. You bristled at her tone, lingering on the ominous sign off: Don’t be late.

If she had bothered to review your application materials, she could easily find most of the answers there. But no, that would be too easy. You pictured her imperious expression, her dark fathomless eyes. With a jolt, you realized that she had been the witch in your dreams. You had been following her somewhere, racing to keep up as she looked back over her shoulder—and those eyes had been beckoning, calling.

You shook your head and sat back in your chair, jaw tight as you stared at the screen. The meeting was still three days away, but your pulse was already pounding at the pressure, not to mention the injustice of having to go through these motions again. It felt like auditioning for a part you’d already won fair and square.

Behind you, the door to your room creaked open. It was Daisy, hair pinned up in a messy bun, holding two steaming mug of coffee.

“Peppermint mocha,” your roommate said, waggling her eyebrows. “Thought you could use a morale boost.”

You softened instantly. “Swoon,” you said, accepting the hot drink. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Agatha Harkness,” Daisy read, voice wry and warm as she scanned the email over your shoulder. “Who’s she?”

“Franklin’s replacement,” you said, the dark cloud returning to your face. “I have to present all my research at the end of the week, get her up to speed.”

“Ah,” Daisy flopped onto your bed, propping a pillow behind her back. “She’s testing you.”

You squinted at her in disbelief.

“I’m serious!” She continued. “I had an advisor do the same thing last year. They all love to play mind games, makes their dull academic lives more interesting. Like they’re in the Da Vinci code or some shit.”

You considered this. Maybe Daisy was right. And if it was a test, you intended to pass with flying colors.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Whenever you weren’t in lectures, you were at the library, poring over all your old notes and preparing for what felt increasingly like judgment day. You ran on fumes. Sleep became nearly impossible. By the time Friday rolled around, you were strung out on caffeine, queasy from nerves that wouldn’t let up. So much was riding on your ability to impress a woman you’d already offended…twice.

You got up before sunrise and dressed in the same clothes you’d worn for your interview with Franklin—black slacks, a black sweater vest over a white oxford shirt, and black penny loafers. Glancing in the mirror, you fiddled with the collar of your shirt and added a pair of tortoise shell glasses, hoping to strike a studious tone.

The trip across campus was quiet, most classes wouldn’t start for another hour. Your footsteps echoed in the halls of the history building, which was all but deserted. Professor Harkness’s office was on the third floor, and the door was closed when you arrived. Gripping the leather folio in your arms, you arranged your face into a neutral mask and then rapped your knuckles on the wood beneath her nameplate.

“Come.” The voice inside was low and soft.

You turned the handle stepped into a warm, spacious study. There were many rows of shelves lined with handsome, leather-bound books. The curtains were half-drawn, and several candles flickered on a small coffee table beside a lamp. Agatha Harkness sat behind a large wooden desk, swirling what looked like tea in a porcelain cup. She didn’t smile.

“Seven-oh-three,” she noted wryly. “Tardy again.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “Sorry. I—”

She waved your apology aside. “Sit.”

You exhaled sharply in frustration but obeyed, smoothing your slacks and placing the folio on her desk. She didn’t reach for it.

“You look like you’re about to face the firing squad,” she said, her expression inscrutable.

“A firing squad,” you replied, unable to prevent a little flicker of irritation from passing over your features. “Would be relaxing compared to this.”

The corners of Agatha’s mouth quirked upward into a smile—a real one. It transformed her face completely, softening the harsh angles. Her eyes danced with something like delight. You realized with sudden, stupefying clarity that she was gorgeous.

“This isn’t a tribunal, pet,” she said, her voice a low rumble. “Just talk me through it.”

You nodded, gathering your thoughts.

“My thesis centers on the importance of primary texts in historical analysis—“

She held up a hand. “Franklin might have liked all that academic prattle. I want the story.”

You paused, trying to figure out how to play by her rules.

“My thesis features a close analysis of primary documents, copies, and illegitimate reproductions. This analysis demonstrates how history can be manipulated and revised by powerful entities like governments and religions.”

She yawned, an exaggerated motion meant to underscore her previous comment.

“1872,” you snapped, roughly opening the folio. “The Mary Celeste, an American merchant brigantine making a journey across the Atlantic ocean, is discovered drifting and mysteriously abandoned. All ten crew, including the Captain, his wife, and his infant daughter, had vanished without a trace.”

Professor Harkness leaned forward.

“The boat was in perfect working condition. There was no sign of a struggle. The lifeboats were missing. Theories about what happened range from piracy to a seaquake to something supernatural—none of them hold. No bodies were ever recovered.”

She sipped her tea, gaze unreadable.

“The ship’s manifest was found and catalogued. A copy was made during the investigation. But the original document from the captain’s cabin went missing shortly after the ship was discovered and brought to shore. My research suggests there may be a key discrepancy between these two documents—the original and the duplicate—something that could explain what happened.”

Agatha’s eyes widened slightly. “What kind of discrepancy?”

“Oh,” you said, feigning surprise. “So you’re not bored anymore?”

Agatha snorted. “Mind your manners.”

You rolled your shoulders, hoping to ease some of the tension there before diving into the next bit of your presentation and answering her question.

“The name of an Unknown Passenger—someone who boarded in secret, maybe in one of the port towns.”

Dr. Harkness arched a brow. “And how do you intend to prove this…discrepancy?”

You considered how to answer this question without revealing too much about your father’s theory.

“I have reason to believe the archives at this university may contain the original manifest.”

Silence fell. The air in the office felt heavier somehow.

“Why?”

You looked away, choosing your words carefully.

“This is a Jesuit institution,” you said. “The captain of the Mary Celeste was…a very devout man.”

Agatha’s eyes flickered over your face, then down at the papers on her desk as she put the pieces together. “You think the Church is somehow involved?”

You didn’t say anything, but your silence was confirmation enough. A strange look passed over Agatha’s face. “That’s quite a conspiracy theory, pet.”

You felt your cheeks go pink with a mix of indignation and humiliation—plus, something bitter in the pit of your stomach, something that felt like disappointment.

Since you’d picked up the threads of your father’s research, you’d encountered pushback, doubt, skepticism. It had been a lonely path, often with only your father’s ghost as company. For a moment, you’d been stupid enough to believe you finally had an ally, that Agatha might understand.

“It’s not a conspiracy theory,” you said.

“Really?” Her tone was droll, mirthful. “All you’re missing is a tin-foil hat and—“

“Is everything a joke to you?” You stood up so fast your chair fell backward. “Or do you just enjoy tearing people down for fun?”

For a moment, a look of hurt flashed across the other woman’s face. Then she leaned forward, laying her palms flat on her desk.

“There she is,” Agatha purred. “The kitten with claws.”

It suddenly occurred to you that Agatha liked this—the friction, the fighting. She had been goading you into an outburst all along. There was something wounded and wild pulsing just beneath the surface of her skin, something restless and raw that wanted to provoke you.

“Forget it,” you said hoarsely, gathering your papers back into the folio. “You don’t want a pupil, you want a punching bag.”

Agatha opened her mouth, maybe to argue, but you weren’t interested in whatever she had to say.

“Just do me a favor, Professor,” you said, voice shaking slightly. “And stay the hell out of my way.”

You slammed the folio shut and turned on your heel. You had almost gotten to the door when she spoke.

“Wait,” she called.

Her voice was different—uncertain for the first time. You paused and then looked back. She was standing, hand halfway outstretched, like she wanted to pull you back across the room. Her gaze was fierce. You suddenly recalled your dream, following Agatha down a dark path, those dangerous eyes flickering up ahead.

“I didn’t realize this was so…personal to you.” Her face twisted in an expression that could pass for remorse, if you squinted.

“Well, it is,” you said, voice tight with emotion. “You’re not the first person to laugh me out of a room.”

For several long seconds you stared each other down across the desk, your heartbeat thundering in your ears.

“And I won’t be the last, pet.” She almost sounded sorry about it. “I mean, come on…the Vatican orchestrating a murder and cover-up on the high seas?”

She ran a hand through her wild mane of dark hair, as if trying to process everything you’d said.

“Is that any more unbelievable than the other crimes they’ve committed, concealed?” You asked, suddenly so tired you could barely see straight. Professor Harkness regarded you, her eyes sharp and calculating, like you were a puzzle she intended to solve.

Moving around the desk, she approached you cautiously.

“Franklin said you were ambitious,” she murmured, crossing her arms. “That’s usually code for irritating.”

You waited, wondering if you were about to get shut down again. Then: “He didn’t mention you were such a spitfire.”

A small smile worked its way across your face. “Is that a compliment?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she warned.

Tentatively, she placed a hand on the small of your back, guiding you toward your abandoned chair and turning it upright. “Now, before your temper tantrum,” she said, gesturing for you to take a seat. “I believe you mentioned a copy of the manifest? Let’s take a look at that.”

Temporarily mollified, you followed her instructions, sinking back down and sliding a few documents toward her. She began skimming the pages, eyes flicking rapidly back and forth. You noticed that her gaze also seemed to jump toward you every so often, like she was checking you were still there.

The silence stretched.

When she finally sat back, something had shifted. Her expression was transformed into something genuinely curious, excited.

“What if,” she said, tapping a map you had annotated, her finger resting on an inked circle near New York. “What if this Unknown Passenger didn’t board mid-way through the journey? What if he was there from the beginning?”

You blinked at her. “A stowaway?”

Agatha leaned forward, nodding. “This harbor was one of the busiest in the country at the time. It would have been easy to smuggle someone aboard at the outset, particularly if the captain was complicit.“

Before you could respond, there was a loud knock at the door. You flinched, hand gripping the edge of her desk so tightly that your knuckles went white. Agatha’s eyebrows knitted together in concern. She could practically feel the adrenaline rolling off you in waves.

“It’s alright,” she explained, voice gentle as she laid a hand on your arm. “My next appointment is just here a little early.”

You glanced at the clock on the wall, shocked to find that the entire hour had passed so quickly. “I should go.”

“Keep digging.” She closed the folder and pushed it back toward you. “But remember, you’re here to do solid academic research, grounded in fact, based in reality. Not chase tall tales and legends.”

You nodded, collecting your belongings and heading for the door. “Yes, Professor.”

Just as you were about to leave she called your name. The sound sent a pleasant chill down your spine. You looked back and she smirked, eyes glittering in the low light.

“Good work.”

#agatha all along fanfic #Agatha Harkness #Agatha x reader #Agatha x you #agatha all along #marvel fanfic #marvel au #wlw smut #wlw yearning #agatha harkness fanfic

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otsar-wc-rp · 2 months ago

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PHASE ONE ⚓ THE CASTAWAYS. Two distinct group of cats with differing values stuck on the same ship. Both are groups brought together and bound not by blood but by a sense of camaraderie. What is a squabbling mass of European ship cats to do when they end up in a shipwreck on a mysterious archipelago, and dive into the unknown together, forced to work together in spite of what divides them?

🚢 The Voyagers

Free-spirited travelers that seek to satisfy their wanderlust

Have a code that dictates giving aid to those in need that they encounter on their journeys

Have a philosophy of altruism, working for the betterment of the many even at at the cost of oneself

🏴‍☠️ The Pillagers

Brought together by the motivation to exact their will upon outsiders and take what they need without resistance, rule by fear and power

Leadership and who calls the shots is dictated by the ability to use force or charisma to influence others

Have a philosophy of hedonism and promotion of self-interest

Of the Sun and Rains is an 18+ SFW cat roleplay heavily inspired by Warrior Cats. It is set in a tropical archipelago inspired mainly by the Philippines but also other Southeast Asian countries. There is an addendum to the 18+ rule - if you're not 18 yet, you are allowed to join if you fall under the following grace period: if you're 17 and your birthday is coming up within the next two weeks.

A lot of creative freedom with character designs (not a genetics-based server so you can submit naturally-colored designs that aren't possible in reality)

Adoptable character designs with tryouts

Developed naming system and ranks

Lore to be developed throughout the story

Characters can have pre-established relationships discussed before the roleplay begins

Lax activity checks (every month or every other month, mainly for high ranks)

Plans for non-domestic-cat playable species in the future

Reference art required - if you can't draw and have a character written and fleshed out, you can request the server owner to draw your character for free!

Submit an original character of yours in the Discord!

If interested, feel free to join the server! You can join as a a spectator or an early access roleplayer. The server is in the process of being completed - latest update is work being done on the locations. Staff applications are open and appreciated, I'm looking for these different skills:

Moderation experience

Skill in mediating conflict

Character reviews and acceptance

Adoptable artists

Adoptable tryout judges

Someone systematic, pragmatic and organized (good with scheduling and keeping a server active and keeping people interested)

Writing experience, especially with constructing plots and events

Permanent Invite: https://discord.gg/PfkJw925rc

#warriors #warrior cats #wc #wc rp #warrior cat rp #warriors rp #roleplay #wc roleplay server #warriors roleplay server #warrior cats roleplay server #wc oc #warriors oc #warrior cat oc #warriors discord #warrior cats discord #wc discord #otsar #of the sun and rains

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inksandpensblog · 2 months ago

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If you've recently had to reconsider plans of seeking a diagnosis, or you worry that you may still need one even despite new concerns for your privacy and safety: consider what accommodations you'd hoped to gain from an official diagnosis, and determine if you can still obtain them without one.

Ask your doctor/psychiatrist/therapist to write notes or letters for you attesting that you need specific accommodations for particular behaviors/symptoms without mentioning whatever condition those behaviors/symptoms stem from (or that you believe they stem from).

They can do this for you without you having any official diagnosis. Get your executive dysfunction/anxiety/overstimulation/etc. accommodated at work or at school without needing the full diagnostic code.

(Individual diagnosis for particular behaviors/symptoms without a full diagnosis linking them back to any specific condition may also be possible but I don't know enough right now to say if it's recommendable.)

Also remember that it's illegal for a lot of places to ask you for health/medical documentation. Know your rights. Don't disclose any medical info that you legally don't have to disclose. Give nothing away; even if it is legal for them to ask, you may not legally need to provide an answer.

Find out what information your insurance, pharmacy, etc. have been sharing about you; HIPPA allows disclosure between providers and insurers without your knowledge or permission. Find out if that information has been going anywhere else.

Know yourself; if you tend to overshare or say too much about yourself, be careful who you speak to.

Peer-review and self-diagnosis are valid; especially if an official diagnosis is likely to do more harm than good, by causing you to be denied citizenship in certain countries, or forbidding you from fostering or adopting, or enabling hidden workplace discrimination (up to and including reduced pay, rejected job applications, and terminated employment), or disqualifying you from insurance plans, or allowing toxic carers in an unsafe home environment (or anyone else you may be legally/financially dependant on) to effectively use your condition against you in a bid for control over your autonomy.

Be aware of your medical needs, go to checkups and get what you need to maintain your health, don't cut off your own access to professionals; but know the benefits and know the risks involved. Know the cost of access to gatekept resources. Be aware of who and what will be able to see your private info. Protect your privacy and autonomy. If the risk isn't worth it, then know what you can manage yourself, and know who you can rely on for the rest. Regardless, do what it takes to survive and get yourself the safety you need. Research how to best support yourself without a diagnosis or without access to a professional.

Self-advocate for the services you need. Demand the support that will empower you.

Don't be a martyr. Watching out for yourself and your loved ones and your community is more important than making a statement.

Know your support network. Reach out to community. Connect with other people in your position and share what you know.

If this isn't you but rather someone in your family or friend-group or community: help them build/maintain a support network that will assist with practical accommodation. Push schools/workplaces to give accomodations without need of a diagnosis from the one being accommodated. Be an ally. Protect your diagnosed family, friends, and neighbors. Protect your undiagnosed family, friends, and neighbors. Advocate for institutionalized people. Advocate for and listen to and protect those with higher support needs.

Not everyone will be able to do this. Protect the ones who can't.

#autism #asd #actually autistic #audhd #autism community #neurodivergent #real life #important #current events #info taken from various notes on mysterioussinkhole's post and several reddit threads #some of these points are paraphrased tags from other rebloggers you can find them in there if you want #I wanted to compile various scattered points

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sejdkvinna · 6 months ago

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a year and a day of witchcraft research

Years ago, I asked myself how I would approach witchcraft if I were to start all over again. I loved the idea of dedicating yourself to a year and a day of study, even if I don’t align with Wicca. From this, I created a weekly study plan for a year and a day of witchcraft research Realistically, I don’t think you can study one topic in depth per week, but I do think it’s useful for beginners to explore a little bit of everything to find their interests. Please don’t feel confined by the weekly structure! If a topic interests you, take more time to explore it! The application of a topic is just as important as reading about it. If a topic doesn’t hold your attention, be grateful for what it has taught you and move on. Or just use this for inspiration on what to dive into next!

A note on research - not all sources are the same quality! Over the years, I’ve gravitated to academic articles and botanical books for information on history, plants, etc. Many witch authors have spread an insane amount of misinformation, so being able to track where their information is coming from is crucial. That’s not to say there aren’t good witch authors on witchcraft – do a quick search on their background and look at book reviews! This is additionally important to understand what biases may be lurking in their writing.

Finally, I want to encourage you to keep two journals during your study. I keep one journal as a grimoire/book of shadows (BOS) or whatever name you choose to call it. I keep another journal to keep my personal experiences with the craft (meditations, spell work, etc.). I’ve loved being able to look back at my progress over the years.

Week 1: History and Cultural Appropriation

A good place to start your witchcraft research is the history of witchcraft. Learn a bit about where it started and how it evolved to its modern form. This is also a good time to also do some research into cultural appropriation – many modern witchcraft practices are full of it! Understanding the roots of practices will help you to not only build discernment skills, but it will also help you to respect closed practices.

Week 2: Traditions

There’s many schools of thought and cultural contexts for witchcraft. This is a good time to explore the different witchcraft traditions and see what resonates with you. I personally would discourage beginner witches from picking a path early on, as I find that you’ll naturally gravitate towards what’s meant for you. However, doing some research on different paths early on can help you make connections and see practices through different lenses as you progress.

Week 3: Ethics

In addition to there being many paths, many witches have created codes of ethics. Do some research into what ethical framework you wish to move forward with – you are more than free to create your own! What does ethical witchcraft mean to you?

Week 4: Cleansing and Banishing

Learn what cleansing and banishing are, and find a few ways to do it that you like. What are some indicators that a cleansing or banishing might be needed? Think about cleansing yourself, your home, your sacred space, tools etc.

Week 5: Protection

To follow up cleansing and banishing, learning some forms of magical protection and warding. Again, think about the different ways you might protect yourself and your space. What are some signs that it’s time to renew your protections? Make sure to practice protection magic moving forward in addition to learning about it!

Week 6: Meditation

Do a little research into how to meditate and give it a try. Meditation doesn’t come easy to everyone, so don’t get discouraged! For this week, focus on your breathwork, entering a blank space, and generally relaxing your mind and your body.

Week 7: Visionary Work

Once you’ve gotten the basics of meditation down, move on to visionary work. Build your visualization skills – this does not have to be “seeing” things in your head. It can include all senses! Something that helped me with visionary work was to look at my surroundings in front of me while “seeing” my surroundings that were behind me. Incorporate meditations with visionary aspects during this week.

Week 8: Centering and Grounding

Now that we’ve done some visionary work, try doing some meditations with the goal to center/ground yourself. There’s so many meditations (and even other ways to center and ground yourself) out there – find what works for you! What are some signs that it’s time to ground yourself again?

Week 9: Energy Work

Hopefully you’ve already got a bit of a sense for handling energy from centering and grounding, but this week it’s time to really dive into energy work. What does your energy feel like? What about others’? Objects? How can you manipulate and shape energy? Etc.

Week 10: Shadow Work

Get to know your shadow this week! Learn about what shadow work is and how to integrate your shadow. There's lots of exercises and prompts out there already - go ahead and explore!

Week 11: Developing the Senses

Next, let's start developing the psychic senses. From the visionary magic week, you might already have a sense of which of your psychic senses might be strongest. Start looking into what the psychic senses are, and how you might start developing them. For an introduction, I really like this video by The Norse Witch.

Week 12: Consecration and Desecration

Now we're going to focus on how to consecrate and desecrate objects. Consecration is a valuable skill to be able to designate objects for a certain intent, and desecration is valuable for when you need to remove intent from an object, whether good or bad. Learn about a few different methods for each!

Week 13: Bioregionalism

It's time to get to know the nature around you. What plants grow in the area? What rocks and minerals can you find? Where are some crossroads that you can visit? These questions are just a starting point; take the time to really get to know the land around you!

Week 14: Elements

Now we're going to focus on the elements. The four classical elements may not apply to the tradition you're working within - do some research to see what the "building blocks" are for you! If you do want to work with the four (or five) elements, take some time to learn about the correspondences, associated spirits, etc.

Week 15: Directions

Building off of the research done on elements, do some research on the four directions and their associations. This can also be a good point to look at wind magic, and how different directions are associated with different winds.

Week 16: Holidays and Seasons

While many witches choose to work with the wheel of the year, you might find there are other holidays associated with other traditions. This can be a good time to think on how you want to celebrate the changing of the seasons. How do you know each season has come? What magical workings might be best for each season?

Week 17: Lunar Phases

This week, let's look at the different lunar phases and their correspondences. What workings are best for each phase? What about for each sign the moon can be in? This is also a good time to look at the correspondences for the lunar eclipse.

Week 18: Planetary Correspondences

Now let's research the correspondences for each planet. How does the positioning of each planet have the potential to affect your spellwork?

Week 19: Astrology

While learning everything about astrology would be very time consuming, this week you could aim to understand your birth chart, as well as what each sign is associated with.

Week 20: Timing

Zooming in now, let's look at timing. Look up what the days of the week and times of the day are associated with, and how they can affect your practice.

Week 21: Written Verse, Incantations, etc.

Written verse is a part of spell work for many practitioners. How can you write the incantations for a spell? Does your tradition offer any guidance or structures?

Week 22: Color Correspondences

What do you associate each color with? While there are many correspondences you can find online, be sure that they align with your intuition as well.

Week 23: Candle Magic

Building off of color magic, this week is for delving into candle magic. How can candles be used? How do you dress/anoint a candle?

Week 24: Knot Magic

Look into what knot magic and some ways you could practice it. Personally, I am a big fan of the Witch's Ladder.

Week 25: Herbalism

There's too many plants to learn the correspondences for all of them in one week (or even a lifetime), but take this opportunity to learn more about the plants growing in your area! This is also a good time to look at how to make balms, tinctures, etc.

Local/native plants

Week 26: Crystals

Once again, there's too many crystals for one week. What are some rocks/minerals you could find in your region? How can you use them in your practice?

Week 27: Tools

What are some tools you can use in your practice? This doesn't have to be the athame, chalice, etc. You can think of both physical and nonphysical tools for this.

Week 28: Spell and Ritual Writing

Now that you've got down a lot of the parts of spell writing, it's time to put them all together! While you can rely on others' spells for a while, learning to write your own is a powerful skill.

Week 29: Amulets and Talismans

How would you create an amulet or talisman? What purposes can they serve? If you feel called to it, try making your won.

Week 30: Shrines and Altars

What's the difference between a shrine and an altar? What are some purposes for both, and what might you put on them? This would also be a good time to make your own, if you feel called to it.

Week 31: Pendulum

This week, we'll start focusing on some divination practices, starting with the pendulum. Look into how to use one, as well has how to make a pendulum and pendulum board if you don't want to go out and buy these things.

Week 32: Tarot

For tarot research, I found that looking up the meaning of each card, taking in the visual symbolism, and then assigning one word meanings to each card helped me to learn how to read tarot. Look into some spreads you could use as well!

Week 33: Scrying

To add another divination practice you can choose from in the future, research scrying and how to perform it. It might also be a good idea to find some ways to make your own scrying mirror.

Week 34: Runes

This week, let's look at the runes? Learn about their origin and history, the rune poems, their meanings how to perform divination with them, etc.

Week 35: Tea Leaf Reading

To wrap up the divination weeks, learn a bit about tea leaf reading (tasseomancy). What are some common shapes, and what are their meanings?

Week 36: Sigils

What are sigils? How are they charged and activated? How do you draw a sigil? There's a few different ways to create sigils - see what works best for you!

Week 37: Symbols

What are some symbols and their meanings? What are their origins? Which ones resonate with you?

Week 38: Sacred Geometry

Do a little dive into sacred geometry. What is it? What are some examples of wit can appear? How can you use sacred geometry in your practice?

Week 39: Alchemy

Look into alchemical principles and how you might want to apply them to your practice (if at all). Does it align with your view of witchcraft?

Week 40: Numerology

What are the correspondences for each number? If you're interested in it, look into your life path number and what it means.

Week 41: Axis Mundi

Many traditions have a concept of an "axis mundi" - what is the axis mundi in your tradition (and if you don't subscribe to a tradition, what does an axis mundi mean to you? How might this relate to your practice and accessing other worlds?

Week 42: Animal Correspondences

What are some correspondences for different animals? What animals are good psychopomps? What might seeing certain animals mean to you?

Week 43: Protective Spirits

Many different traditions have some concept of protective personal spirits. Many modern witches might instead refer to a "spirit team". Do some research into the different protective spirits - what resonates with you?

Week 44: Ancestral Work

Some of the easiest spirits to work with are our ancestors! You can start an ancestral practice to honor those who came before you, even if you do not know or wish not to honor your blood ancestors. Look into some ways you can work with and honor your ancestors during this week.

Week 45: House Spirits

Next, let's look at some house spirits. Do some research into some different house spirits, and get to know the spirit of your house!

Week 46: Land Spirits

This week, let's move on to land spirits. Dive into what some different land spirits are and get to know the land spirits around you. This may include spirits from folklore, as well as the spirits of rocks, plants, water sources, etc.

Week 47: Egregores

Now, let's look at egregores. Research what they are, how they are created, etc. You don't need to create one now, but it will help you to have this knowledge background if you choose to continue with spirit work.

Week 48: Dream Work

This week, let's research how to interpret dreams, lucid dreaming, how to communicate with spirits through dreams, etc. This is also a good time to start recording your dreams, if you haven't already. You can also build off past herbalism research to enhance your dreams.

Week 49: Astral Work

For this week, research the astral plane, other types of spirits, how to reach the astral, etc. For many, astral projection/travel takes a lot of time and practice - don't get discouraged! There's many ways to interact with spirits outside of the astral plane.

Week 50: Pantheons and/or Animism

Many witches choose to incorporate deity work into their practice. Other witches do not, and some of these witches may believe in animism and choose to work with plant, rock, etc. allies. What do you believe it? If you do feel called to deity work, this could be a good time to start. I recommend starting with looking into the different pantheons and seeing what resonates. I do advise against assuming everything is a sign that a deity is calling to you - reach out to those you want a relationship with, and your psychic senses or divination to see if they want to work with you too.

Week 51: Mythology and Folklore

Whether you choose to believe that stories from folklore/mythology are true or not, they do often contain valuable information on witchcraft from their traditions. Take some time to read these and recognize patterns within them. How can these inform your practice?

Week 52: Covens v. the Solitary Path

What are some benefits to working in a group? What are some benefits of working alone? Are there other practicing witches in your area? How might you meet them?

Last Day: Reflecting on your Path

You made it to the last day, congratulations! This day is dedicated to reflecting on your path so far. What lessons have you learned? Are you feeling called to any particular paths, or what interested you more than others? Do you see yourself looking for a group to practice with, or do you wish to continue on your own?

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