#How do I know if hematite is working?

[ap0cryph0n-in-space]

SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 1 FINALE

CHECK THYSELF AND ENSURE THOU HAST READ THE FINALE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE

Hello. So Buddy’s a key.

Prepare for more mind blowing never-before-heard statements such as that last one.

As we can already assume, Buddy was not always a key: he was human before being put through a (dubiously ethical) process that turned him into a key, presumably by whoever the “Old Man” of Ex-Libris is. He and Violet were working together to turn him human again, and we don’t know exactly what they need to do that yet.

So far what we do know is Buddy’s been specifically following Chase into the books: not the keys themselves, or Deacon and Prunella.

Bearing that in mind, I would like to propose that in order for Buddy to stop being a key, he needs a candidate to take his place. And for some reason outside of his control, the most likely candidate is Chase.

Not sure why exactly, maybe Chase’s personality matches the character key he would correspond to— which is proobably our resident Hero key, Goldie. I’ll get back to that, just a sec—

Punko said a couple of things in the season finale Q&A that caught my attention, mostly about Buddy’s irises being drawn differently from the human characters. It turns out they’re moonstones with a smooth cabochon cut instead of the OG keys’ faceted gem irises. But I’ll get back to that too, hold your horse gods—

OK, Chase being compatible with Goldie. The other thing was when Punko mentioned that in the book world, key holders tend to get sorted into either hero or side-character based on how much they take control of their life choices. Specifically that Deacon’s arc the whole season thus far has been about becoming the hero of his own life; when asking for things to go his way doesn’t cut it and especially when his friends and family are in danger, Deacon learned he needed to make things go his way himself and just take action. (Can relate…)

When Buddy said Chase “might be useful after all,” in episode 23, it was after Chase had made so much craziness happen in a book about cats trying to “Parent Trap” Stagtown cameos, that it was going fully off the rails- and through quick thinking and sheer trying things he got the book to a satisfying and frankly more entertaining conclusion. You know, Chase is just like that.

My guess for how Buddy needs to swap places with Chase is he just needs Chase and Goldie to be in the same book together before he initiates something on his end, and then Chase would… merge with Goldie in the book? Which makes me worried for Goldie too, if that’s what does indeed happen😥Idk. (Maybe that’s part of why Buddy talks like the most Disney Villain mustache-twirling theater nerd of all time, too, his mind’s been combined with the Villain key’s to become Nox.)

Buddy didn’t know that they had found Goldie until Prunella revealed herself, finally he has everything he needs, and I think he was hurt enough to unhappily consider going through with the plan- but then of course drama happened and they came to an understanding in the book and it was GREAT🥲

Still, even though Buddy’s decided he won’t go through with it, I have a feeling that it will end up happening somehow. Because Drama.

But enough of that, all that theory up there? Who cares, whatever, that’s all build up for my REAL point:

Buddy’s key form has a moon theme, and moonstone cabochon eyeballs,

Thus I propose

Get ready

You’ll never believe it

Chase with

☀️SUN☀️ STONE YORBS

(My god, what a feat of Logic)

Oh!! Oh oh, and Yes, the metallic striations (usually hematite?) can appear teal, pink, and yellow AKA Chase’s colors as a card-carrying 1980’s vaporwave pop punk lad— it’s almost like it was planned or something 😈

*maniacal cackling

ROCKS!!!!

[diegosouzalions]

Hello hello Diego, I have a question about how Rainbow Gems management actually works in practice

I saw on the Gems list that a lot of Rainbow Diamond Gems act as managers for lower ranked Gems....But I also know that some lowerranked Gems are managers of other types of Gems too

So I keep wondering- aren’t there too many managers?? How do Rainbow Gems even handle all that (not to mention the Diamonds, who also manage Gems that are already managed by Rainbow Gems?) It’s so confusing to me lol.

Well, most Rainbow Gems are representatives / commanders of Gems of their respective types and variants, so they also analyze the Gem supervisors who perform their own functions, for example Rainbow Hematite can rule Jet Hematites and also Hematites. And if there is any change of function, or something very serious and using large armies, for example, instead of the Diamonds telling their courts one by one, Rainbow Gem commanders can do this which will work for all specific Gems from all courts. They somehow speed up the process and bring the courts together efficiently when necessary.

[ectobabble]

Shiny's rock + how it fits into FNaF

I realized the research/prep I did for 'The Imposter' so now I wanna ramble about it bc i think i deserve it? [in defense of shiny] [The Imposter fic]

The first time Shiny brings up rocks it's when Sun freaks out about them leaving and possibly not coming back. Shiny pulls out their 'worry stone' and gives it to him saying that it's too important for them to not come back for it. They also mention it's to help find lost things, so Sun will find Shiny tomorrow at work.

A worry stone is something that a person keeps on them and rubs every time they are stressed, resulting in smoothing the stone over time. However, Shiny's is large and bumpy, meaning it's new and wasn't meant to be one.

It's Chalcopyrite which is a stone that can be used as a compass to find lost items/people and help increase psychic abilities and intuition. Shiny explains why they carry it around but there is a misunderstanding between them.

Shiny brings up another stone. "That's Hematite! Good for remembering things and getting rid of bad energy." Which, yeah, but it's also known as the bloodstone, used for grounding, stability, and focus(memory).

Quartz is an all-purpose stone that Shiny gives to the little girl who was hurt in Chapter 13. It enhances other crystals paired with, but it also is fantastic for memory.

Lapis Lazuli is another memory stone helping with communication and sharing information.

Blue Chalcedony is said to be used for memory enhancement, but mostly storing information.

Most of Shiny's stones are based on searching for things and remembering, which makes sense because they have DID and do not have ANY of their childhood memories, Imp does. Imp also refuses to talk with them, so it could be seen as an attempt to try and remember by themselves. A few of these double as 'clearing away evil spirits/negative energy', which hm... wonder what that would affect in the plex.

So that brings me to... what is a key part of the FNAF lore: Remanent that is used when making the animatronics to trap souls in them. Basically just 'soul energy' and something talked about in scriptures. So metaphysical energy already exists in the FNaF universe and the ImpAU is going to use that.

Also i swear to fuck they're gonna kiss, I didn't bait and switch. They gotta suffer for it. The main plot is about child abuse and psychological horrors.

Ironically Imposter pushes the relationship story but has to traverse the main plot. Shiny experiences the love story but pushes the main plot.

This doesn't get into Imposter's contributions, lemme know about that bc i talk WAY too much. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

It's also important to know that Imposter doesn't know jack about Shiny's rocks and neither do Moon/Sun

[bunny-claws]

black hole grounding & release

many practitioners like to use various elements and other sources to ground their excess or negative energy - one of my favorite methods of doing this is black hole grounding. the idea is that the energy you’re trying to ground or get rid of would be compressed into something so small and insignificant that it practically doesn’t exist, instead of just being transferred to another source. this method ideally traps the grounded energy so that it may dissipate, similar to how the force and gravity of a black hole is so strong that not even light can escape it.

method:

dim the lights 

sit comfortably, whether it be outdoors under the stars or inside - your choice

feel free to play some ambient music on your computer or phone, perhaps something on youtube with a backdrop of the cosmos

if you have a crystal you like to use to help you ground, hold onto it

similarly, light a candle or incense that you like to use to help you ground, if you wish

do whatever you need to do to get relaxed

visualize* the energy you wish to ground traveling up your spine, out of the top of your head, and into the cosmos - once you can visualize this energy floating in empty space, imagine it being sucked into a black hole until you can no longer see it

continue rhythmic breathing until you come back to reality, and go about your day as usual 

crystals to aid in black hole grounding:

astrophyllite 

black calcite

black obsidian 

black tourmaline

bronzite 

dolomite

halite

hematite

lodestone

magnetite

meteorite

nebula stone

onyx

smoky quartz 

tiger’s eye

scents to aid in black hole grounding:

basil

cedar

cinnamon

coffee

cypress

fir

frankincense

ginger

jasmine

myrrh

patchouli

pine

sage

sandalwood

spruce

* a lot of my posts talk about visualization, but i know that isn't possible for everyone - if that's the case for you, then please don't feel obligated to try. music, imagery, art, etc. can be really helpful when visualization is not an option. there's more than one way to do things so take your time and do what works for you. ♡

© 2025 bunny-claws

[galacticnikki]

100 Witchcraft Tips in 100 Days

Day 6 - How to Choose The Right Crystals For Daily Use

Set a Daily Intention

Before you pick your crystal you first want to figure out your intention. Crystals hold energy, by choosing one that aligns with your intention you can end up with more effective results. Some good questions to ask yourself include:

What do I want to achieve today?

What challenges do I expect to face?

What mood do I want to have today?

What do I want to protect myself from?

Depending on what you'll be doing that day can affect your intention that you might not have realized otherwise. There are thousands of stones for different intentions. Let's say you need protection, black tourmaline and obsidian would be your go to. If you needed some love and compassion rose quartz and rhodonite can help with that. If you need focus and mental clarity you can use fluorite or clear quartz. Maybe you need a confidence boost or a little motivation, citrine and tigers eye works well for that.

Trust in Your Intuition

When you're picking a crystal you don't always need to know the exact correspondences or properties to know it's the right one. You might feel pulled or drawn to a specific stone and not quite know why. It could be the color, the texture, or just overall feel of it. This is a sign that your intuition is guiding you to the right choice. Even if you're unsure about the correspondences you can still take it and look up the correspondences later. You may be pleasantly surprised with how aligned it was with your intentions.

Pick a Size And Shape

When picking out your crystal you also need to keep in mind your needs when carrying it around. You might want to avoid fragile crystals like selenite or soft stones that can break easily when handled often. Here's a few types of styles you may want to consider:

Tumble Stones: Small, smooth, discreet stones that can slip into your pocket or purse.

Jewelry: Pendant, rings, or bracelets.

Pocket Stones: Crystals that are slightly more oblong but fit comfortably in your hand.

Working Your Crystal into Your Routine

When choosing your crystal it's also important to consider your routine. If you have a lot of different activities planned you can carry a combination of a few crystals that works best for your intentions. For example:

Work or study: Crystals like fluorite or clear quartz can help with focus, mental clarity, and decision making.

Self care and emotional healing: Crystals like rose quartz or lepidolite can promote feelings of love and peace.

Travel or errands: Crystals like black tourmaline or hematite can offer protection from negative energy and promotes grounding, especially in unfamiliar environments.

Choose Crystals That Are Easy to Cleanse and Recharge

Because you'll be working with your crystals daily it's very important to consider how easy it is to cleanse and recharge those crystals. Some crystals absorb energy quickly and need cleansed and recharged often while others are self cleansing. Some popular cleansing methods include:

Moonlight: Place your crystals under the full moon.

Running Water: Some stones are water safe and can be held under running water to cleanse the stone. Usually if it ends in -ite it's not water safe. Make sure you research which stones are water safe.

Smoke Cleansing: Pass your crystal through the smoke of burning herbs to remove stagnant energy.

For daily use it's best to stick to stones that are more durable that can handle frequent cleansing. Some good stones for this include clear quartz, black obsidian, and citrine.

Switch Crystals as Needed

Don't feel like you have to stick to only one crystal a day. You're intentions can and will shift based on what you go through during your day. Your intention is fluid and as such you're choice of crystals should as well. Having a small, varied collection of crystals can help you have one for any intention no matter what happens. You might even rotate your stones as part of a weekly ritual. Cleansing and recharging your crystals every week to make sure they stay aligned with your intentions.

If you want to find more of these entries use the hashtag #100 Witchcraft Tips in 100 Days! If you want to join a group of witches feel free to join our 18+ coven on Discord.

[ambermotta]

How to not Kill your Crystals — Crystal Safety

How often have you looked up online and saw "to cleanse your crystals, use moonwater!", or "bury your crystals!"?

And how often did you hear of someone whose crystal ended up bleached, or entirely dissolved? (I'm looking at you, selenite)

Long post ahead but it's worth it, I promise

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Introduction

There are many methods of cleansing and charging crystals, but what beginner witches and pagans may not realize is that not every method is appropriate for every crystal.

While some methods are generally more harmless than others, if you don't know some of your crystal's basic properties, you might end up damaging them or even yourself!

So in this post I'll go through some general considerations and then list some cleansing & charging methods: the failproof, the ones you have to consider crystal safety, and the possibly harmful ones. Lastly, I'll list what you should NEVER do with your crystals.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

So what's wrong with Moonwater?

There is nothing wrong with moon or sun energy itself. What can be dangerous is Water and Sunlight. It's all about physics and chemistry.

Water

Some crystals dissolve or release toxic chemicals in water. Some examples are Selenite & and Desert Rose (which is a type of Selenite), and Hematite. That means you should never leave them near water, humidity, wash them, or put them inside any elixirs.

Sidenote on elixirs: if you are going to ingest any type of water that has been in contact with crystals, you MUST do a through research to make sure they don't release ANY chemicals in the water.

Plus you can infuse water with crystal energy without them touching the water.

by celestialearthminerals

The Sun

As for Sunlight, it can bleach your crystals and alter the coloration over time. The heat can also greatly damage them! An example of crystals that shouldn't be exposed to the sun is quartz. Pretty much all kinds, including amethyst and citrine.

Fun fact: burned amethyst clusters are very often sold as citrine. They have a burned yellow/brown/orange aspect to them, like in this image.

Real citrine has lighter yellow and orange tones.

burned amethyst – fake citrine

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Fail proof Cleansing & Charging

Nothing can go wrong with them when it comes to crystal safety. The worst that can happen is performing them poorly, which could affect cleansing and charging effectiveness.

Smoke

There's no way to go wrong here. You can light an incense or burn herbs of your choosing, pick up a crystal, and cleanse them with the smoke. You can use energetic herbs such as rosemary to charge them.

Tip: You can choose the herbs and incense based on your stones properties! (For example, use a fiery herb to charge a fiery crystal)

Sound

There are many ways to go about this. Singing bowls, affirmations, vocal singing, bells, prayer, chanting, galdr (rune chanting), calming and uplifting music...

Choose your sound, cleanse your space, set your intention, and let Sound do its job. If you are going to charge the crystals yourself using a method such as chanting to your stones, cleansing yourself first and having a ritualistic setup would be nice. It can help you focus and make sure you will only send positive energies to your crystals.

Reiki and Energy work

Absolutely no way to go wrong. Reiki is a wonderful cleasing/charging method.

You would have to be initiated in order to do Reiki, but if you can't afford that, any kind of energy work and energy manipulation will do. Just make sure to prepare yourself beforehand and focus on what you are doing.

You can use tools to help in energy manipulation, such as an athame or wand.

Water Glass Cleansing

You are NOT going to put your crystals INSIDE the water glass. That's why this is a safe cleansing method.

Fill a glass of water and set your intentions for the water to absorb all negativity from your crystals, then leave your stones & crystals near your glass of water for a few hours.

It is preferable to use a transparent glass. It doesn't have to be, but it is better. I also wouldn't recommend plastic of any kind.

Once you are done, dispose of the water, thanking it for its help, and wash the glass before using it again.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Consider Crystal Safety with These

They are commonly believed to be harmless (and that's mostly true), but give them some thought anyway. I will explain why.

Immersing in Salt

Salt has strong cleansing properties. You can fill a small bowl with enough salt to bury your crystals and leave them there for a few hours to a day. You could also use salt water the same way.

Why be careful?

Salt can trigger chemical reactions in some crystals. I'm mainly talking about salt water, but just to be safe, it might be best to have caution with solid salt as well.

Burying in Earth

Burying crystals (especially if close to a plant or tree) is a popular cleansing/charging method. After all, they came from the earth! Who else could take better care of them?

You can leave your crystals buried outside for a few hours to a day and let the planet do its job.

Why be careful?

If you are going to leave crystals outside beneath the earth, you shouldn't have to worry about the Sun. It is WATER that you should worry about.

If it rains, the water will reach your crystals. If want to bury non water-safe crystals, make sure rain won't get to them.

Tip #1: Don't forget where you buried them

Tip #2: An alternative to burying outside is to bury crystals on your household plant's pot. You can even match the plant's own properties to the energy you want to work on your crystal.

Moonlight Bath

Not moon water, just moonlight. Just let your crystals bask in moonlight... It is almost failproof.

Why be careful?

I say it's almost failproof because it can only fail if you forget your crystals outside until the sun is out, or until it rains.

If you think you are prone to forgetting to collect your crystals before the sun shines, do this early in the night and set an alarm to collect your crystals in a few hours.

Tip: you can still cleanse and charge with Moon energy even if the weather is not favorable. Just be careful with rain.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Possibly Harmful Methods

For these, you NEED to know your crystals before you do them. Especially the ones involving water and heat, you should take into consideration your own health due to possible chemical releases!

Sun charging

While it can be great to have sun energy on some of your crystals, this is one of the unsafest methods for the crystals. A lot of them will bleach, change color and even crack after prolonged sunlight exposure. If you're leaving crystals in the Sun, I suggest you leave them out for no more than an hour.

Also, watch out for weather changes if you have a crystal that is not waterproof.

Sidenote: if you have crystal necklaces, remember you might also accidentally expose them to sunlight and rain when you wear them outdoors.

Sun water

Can't have your crystals in the Sun, but it's a fire crystal so you would like it to be charged with sun energy?

If they are water safe, make some sun water, fill a bowl with it, and let your crystals sit in it for a few hours.

Moon water

As long as your crystal is waterproof, it should be fine. Just fill a bowl with moon water and let your crystals be for a few hours.

If you don't know if your crystals are water safe, it's best not to risk it.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Never Ever...

... Expose your crystals to intense heat

No candles, no hot water, no intense sunlight. Not only you will very likely damage your crystal, intense heat and burning of crystals can release toxic fumes.

... Use chemicals to clean crystals

No soaps, alcohol, detergents, salts, etc. They might trigger chemical reactions when in contact with some crystals. So unless you know exactly what you're doing, keep these away from them.

... Touch dissolved crystal water

If you put your crystal in water and a chemical reaction happened, it's best to not touch the water. It could cause skin irritation and intoxication.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Conclusion

Sometimes we leave crystals outside so that they can be bestowed Nature's blessings, and we forget about them. It happens, as do all accidents.

But you can avoid a lot of damage (yours and theirs) by simply studying about them before submitting them to anything that could be potentially harmful.

Remember your crystals need a lot of love and care, and that goes for their physical care, too. They are unique because of their physical and chemical properties as well, not just spiritual ones.

Thank you for reading and love your crystals!

[liodennewsreporter]

February's bases

So i know we are all thinking it before we chase after it,what is others thoughts on the February bases even more if your a breeder, of course,your newest news reporter will add her own thoughts on bases and how they look!

starting with the ones from the shop!

Ardor elegance purchased from the flirt shop

its a nice color truly i actually really like it! despite how its not my style or something i would buy i definitely would breed for it, but that's my own opinion! look for more in comments! its definitely is a favorite

Cherry blossom/cherry lips! flirt shop

I honestly love it i cant explain why but how there's a soft lavender into a pink oh my goodness i can't explain it and the soft whites yellows other things the colors yummy ! its just so beautiful, of course i love it ,if you don't like it tell me why! or if you like it i want to hear opinions

cotton candy/taste of cotton candy flirt shop

this is 100% bias as when it came out i immediately started to hunt for a way to get my own cotton candy based lion its such a beautiful base that looks great with white and black i just love it! by now you can tell i love more out of there bases!

fluffiness of flamingo/flamingo base flirt shop

this was such a big surprise this is in the event instead of a craft able item i honestly assumed it would be one by the way flamingos feathers are(of course not a complaint just surprising) i love the trend of pink lions in the month of love its so valentine and i just cant say how much i love it i have no clue why this isnt so popular.

Blush rose/kiss from a rose slap shop

personally i don't like it it honestly feels like a default skin and it looks like if you accidentally applied this to a lion you would be sad, i know how much they work on it but i actually don't like it,but as always tell me your opinion discuss even.

Manakbir Base flirt shop

i cant handle natural bases but this one is perfect a beauty actually its so natural but also just sooo soo pretty i could understand the wait or trying to breed for it.

Merlot Base flirt shop

I love this base so much I loved when it came out just so much its like a wine color I don't know how to explain it like I cant explain my loves for other ones but this one this one is soo yummy to look at.

Peach base/its all peachy flirt shop

I love the colors so much i don't know pink valentine days and peach colors it does remind me of cherry blossom but it still looks good!

Rose Pink Base flirt base

Soft beauty as normal but I love it the colors go well but it doesn't remind me of rose pink I like it.

The craft bases of the month?!?!

Hematite Base 50 hematite

I don't know it feels just a tad bit disappointing, probably me myself as a breeder love bases that show out more then anything! but definitely the colors match the rock sooooo much like i kind of expected like a more colorful scheme or just a bit more light but i do think it totally fits not worthy of being waited for but i totally understand someone wanting it!

Kunzite Base

lavender/lilac bases HAVE.MY.HEART its so pretty! i just lovvee it like its totally worth waiting for and i could imagine putting the base on a gen1 young chase and being obsessed with it, i would buy out every single kunzite to get this base

Rhodonite Base

I love it I don't know I would keep it and it seems just like something a queen would have and I could see it with a bunch of decorations I just obessed with this? but also don't like it I don't know that's why I like it so much!

Rough Ruby Base

I love colorful wine colored bases and how it was more colorful oh my goodness i love it i love it i love it! I'm so so obsessed with it.

I so much wanted to put branch prices of the apps and such but honestly that would be actually no use to you all i would recommend looking into the comments, let's discuss I'm also looking for my own style for blogging at the moment!

rec?

It's easy to find rocks i would recommend getting the apps at the month mostly because people are selling their rocks alot make a cute cave of gen 1 chased rocks for combo bases or something! in my own personal thoughts people forget about the rock bases sooo much when their so pretty and so useful for putting on chases/gen 1s

[thelostchaoswitch]

Witchcraft and OCD: Finding Balance and Calm in Your Craft

Hey, witchy community! 🌙✨

Today, I want to talk about something very close to my heart: practicing witchcraft while living with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). OCD can make it challenging to engage in practices that require focus and intention, but it's definitely possible to find a harmonious balance. Here are some tips and insights on how to help manage OCD and slow your mind down during your magical practices.

Understanding OCD in the Context of Witchcraft

OCD often involves intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, which can be particularly difficult when you're trying to center yourself for rituals, spellwork, or meditation. The perfectionism associated with OCD can also make it hard to feel satisfied with your work, leading to endless tweaking and anxiety.

Tips for Practicing Witchcraft with OCD

1. Set Clear Intentions: Before you start any ritual or spell, take a moment to clearly define your intention. Write it down if it helps. Having a clear focus can reduce the anxiety of "doing it wrong."

2. Create a Ritual Space: Dedicate a small space in your home for your practice. Keeping this space sacred and clutter-free can provide a sense of calm and order, helping to soothe an overactive mind.

3. Simplify Your Rituals: Instead of complex rituals, opt for simpler ones that require fewer steps and less time. This can make it easier to stay focused and reduce the urge to repeat actions compulsively.

4. Grounding Techniques: Incorporate grounding exercises into your practice. This can include activities like walking barefoot on grass, holding grounding crystals (like hematite or black tourmaline), or visualizing roots growing from your feet into the earth.

5. Mindful Breathing: Deep, mindful breathing can slow your heart rate and calm your mind. Try a simple breathing exercise before and during your practice—inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold for four.

6. Use of Mantras: Repeating a calming mantra can help redirect your focus from intrusive thoughts. Choose a phrase that resonates with you, like “I am calm and centered” or “My magic is powerful and pure.”

7. Limit Ritual Time: Set a timer for your rituals to prevent them from stretching on endlessly due to compulsions. Knowing there's a time limit can help keep you on track.

8. Embrace Imperfection: Magic is about intention, not perfection. Allow yourself to make mistakes and remind yourself that your practice doesn’t have to be flawless to be effective.

9. Seek Support: Don’t be afraid to reach out to mental health professionals who can offer coping strategies specific to OCD. Therapists can help you develop techniques to manage your symptoms.

10. Connect with the Community: Engaging with other witches who understand OCD can provide support and shared experiences. Platforms like Tumblr are great for finding understanding communities.

Slow Down and Find Your Calm

Remember, your practice is a personal journey. It’s okay to take it slow and find what works best for you. Here are a few additional ways to slow down and cultivate peace in your practice:

- Journaling: Write about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Journaling can help you process intrusive thoughts and create a sense of order.

- Nature Walks: Spend time in nature to ground yourself and connect with the earth’s energy. Even a short walk can clear your mind.

- Tea Rituals: A simple tea ritual can be incredibly calming. Focus on the process of making tea, from boiling the water to steeping the leaves, and let it be a mindful, meditative act.

Finding balance between OCD and witchcraft is a journey, but with patience and self-compassion, it's entirely possible to create a practice that brings you peace and fulfillment.

Stay strong, stay well, stay safe.

[psykulor]

Batto Blasts Off, Chapter 2

I take public transport out to the meet with Cerris. As the successful owner of a legitimate salvage business, I have several attractive, powerful, and legally obtained vehicles of my own. But they are conspicuous and I, Batto, cannot afford to be conspicuous right now. This bus smells like burnt wiring and the rear left repulsor is slowly oscillating between a bone-jarring shake and a gentle bouncing motion. Very reassuring.

Big Brssa’s Work Cafeteria is home to a lot more smells. Most delicious. Some rancid. And then there’s Big Brssa herself - a little bit of both. Not that I know her personally, but Trandoshan musk is an easy spot. I shove aside the defunct door and saunter in. The proprietor is standing behind a buffet heaping with various things I assume are food. She snarls at me politely. “What do you want, sssskrilk?”

“I’m here to see Cerris,” I casually mention, as blasters start crowding around my face and torso.

After a cursory beating, I am dumped with some ceremony in front of a stocky human woman leaning against a freezer with exaggerated unconcern. “You’ve got courage, waltzing into my place like this.”

“What’s the deal with the waltz anyway? Is that just a Mandalorian thing, or do all humans do it?” I return with a smile.

“Most people in your situation, Mr. Batto, would gibber a bit, maybe make some indignant demands.”

I haven't given her my name. She's trying to show me she can look me up. But I, Batto, am not anonymous and do not try to be.  “Most people aren’t as good at business as I am. Now that the pleasantries are over, I'm here because I have some asteroidal iron to sell.”

“Not the most high-value commodity, is it?” she rejoins. “I should think you’d have an easier time at the Imperial Salvage Exchange.”

“If I went to the exchange, I would have to land my shipment at the Imperial spaceport, and you know how corrupt those customs officers are. They’d likely invent some offense to confiscate my ore.”

“That explains why you’re selling here. Now, why am I buying? You don’t know my needs.”

“The iron is high-purity hematite, useful in constructing mag-nets and artificial gravity systems. Your customers could use it in their extralegal settlements.”

She’s shocked. You can always tell when a human is shocked. Their faces practically expand in volume. This one’s good, though - I get maybe a tenth of a second’s glimpse. “That’s not a bad guess, but” -

“With respect. Most of my customers are also your customers. You weren’t that hard to look up.” I’m telling half the truth. Rump did tell me Cerris sold goods to Core World dissident colonies, and I specialize in political types. The important thing is that I’ve got her on the defensive. Now I flip over to nice. There's a lot of salvage I can't move in the store that makes for decent bargaining material.

“I have a few other commodities that may interest you. There's a shipment of self-defense aids coming into my shop that I won't be able to retail easily. Take the iron" -- I tap out a reasonably marked-up figure on my datapad -- “and I'll get you on the pipeline. Not ALL of my customers are your customers, after all.”

Cerris doesn't seem impressed. “I don't do weapons.”

“I don't know what's more surprising, a pacifist Mandalorian or a rimmer fence turning down a wholesale opportunity.”

“I'm no pacifist. I'm just not a free agent. My people have good weapons traders and I'm not one of them.”

“Your people? I usually prefer to work with other independent merchants.” Too late I realize I've overstepped. Hedging works when you can walk away, but I can't sell this iron elsewhere and she knows that, if she's any good with Rodian faces.

She is. And now I'm the one on the defensive. “But that is of no consequence. I am still happy to sell the hematite alone.”

Cerris bites. “Fine, but I'm not taking the shipment directly. We’ll do an overland dropoff. You land your freighter and use a planetary craft to meet mine.”

[halfcrackedguru]

A Message from the Universe ~ A Gift for Your Future Self

A Message from the Universe ~ A Gift for Your Future Self, Cosmic Dancer Oracle Cards Today's Message from the Universe indicates a need for a period of assessment. As we move a little further into autumn or spring for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, this message is perfectly timed to catch us before hibernation or upon waking from our hibernation. Of course, we're not bears who sleep for the entire winter but we are still highly affected by the seasons, the sun, and the moon. Hell, even in the financial world we have just recently moved into the fourth quarter where it's common to try to get as much revenue in as possible before the new year. So what does this mean for us on a personal and spiritual level? Well, we are a part of the physical world. What we do and experience in the 3D has a direct effect on our mind, body, and spirit as you well know. Our spirit is happy when we're taking care of our physical and mental selves. You will find that your needs at this time might be a little different than they were a couple of months ago. For example, I've noticed that I need a little more sleep than normal and a lot more meat. The holidays are coming so I need to budget a little differently to do something nice for my kids. This is also the time of year when depression is usually at its worst so I want to make the coming months easier on myself by doing a deep clean, purge, and reorganization of my space and routines. How do your current needs differ from what they were over the last few months? Are you prone to declining mental health in the winter? Maybe you're working on a personal or business project whose processes could do with some reorganization and streamlining to make it less of a headache, easier to work on, and ready to scale. Whatever your current needs happen to be, this is the time to assess where you are and anticipate what you will need in the near future. See a doctor if you need to and are able. Do some purging and decluttering of your schedule, as well as your physical and mental space, and tie up any lingering loose ends. Be proactive now and you will thank yourself later :) TODAY'S CRYSTALS: Rose Quartz Hematite Clear Quartz Seraphinite Red Jasper TODAY'S DECK: Cosmic Dancer Oracle CHECK OUT THIS DECK: Cosmic Journey Oracle TODAY'S MUSIC: TODAY'S MUSIC: "Sam Hunt, Bottle It Up" "Thomas Rhett, Die a Happy Man" Thank you! Your tips and donations help to pay for the website and other costs that help me to bring these messages to you :) Read the full article

[sweetnumnums]

9/17/22

[19:24]

There's a bad habit I have that I've just noticed. I tend to not write in this book for a while after feeling good or going out and having a good time, I think. This is a mental note to do my best to write in here every day, so not as bad as I thought I guess. Anyways, yesterday at work I had a pretty regular day. On my 30 min break I started looking for tarot card reader's cause all the generals were hitting on youtube but at the same time it was too vague. So out of no where I call Lady of the Lake and ask if they have readers.

I booked an appointment for 4 pm I wasn't expecting to do this, I just felt like deep down it was time and just my body and mind went with it. When I got there while paying for the reading my eye was drawn to those black rings because I was thinking of getting a black ring. I was led to the side room and met Kristin?, who was very nice and oddly comfortable to be around, like a good friend.

She first started with a prayer, and after that I can't remember exactly how everything went down, but it was a mix of kind of tuning in to my guides I think, and tarot for more clarification. I'd say she's very experienced and I feel like seeing her work is just more of a confirmation of what's going on with me. So the First message was that she was getting an image of a flower spreading and blooming through the mud. I forgot what kind of flower but the imagery is surreal. Or the symbolism I mean.

They say that I've turned the key in the ignition of my heart and started the engines. I'm in the process of opening up. She says my guides are sending energy to my root chakra and that I need to ground more, the more I do metaphysical without grounding the easier it is for me to disconnect from reality and I start to think I'm crazy. The ring at the cash register is Hematite and is supposed to help with grounding so I went back today to buy one, also they were only $2. The next image she got is that I'm to be successful and guides showering me in gold coins and gold light. Next I asked about my twin flame and explained Alice. She said it wasn't the same effect for her, but she knows? To work on trusting myself, loving myself, and becoming more of myself and shine my light and that it would unfold organically, which I believe again.

She said by November 18,19,20 but I don't like relying on specific months or dates. Basically though to keep doing what I'm doing. Not gonna lie, I'm proud of myself after hearing this reading. Also I'm always drawn to the spirit world in every life I live, and that sounds crazy to me I never thought of that. It never crossed my mind if I wasn't drawn to it in other lives. So that's cool.

She said I would learn more solo, start learning and practicing magic. Also starting with candle work. Maybe I'll look that up, and I have a white magic book. I plan on reading after this dream book. Eventually a teacher will find me I think? or I'll do work with a soul family, and also will be learning and working with my twin flame, whaaaa? That's cute as fuck haha. She said I could go professional and make money, but I'm not sure I would want to use these types of gifts for money. I do it for the experience and I want to help people because they need it. Thinking back on it, I can't help but feel like she kept something hidden though. Something very important. Maybe something I'm not meant to know. But very important for sure.

Who knows what it is. All I can do is keep doing me and shine my light and ground and work on my physical body too and I'll get to where I'm meant to be. I'll do what I'm meant to do. And I don't even really have to do anything, that's like the most mind blowing thing I came across today.

[tipsycad147]

Making a Magick Self Care Routine-Daily Witchcraft

Self Care has become a major buzzword on Social Media.Spa Days, Retail Therapy, Coloring Books, you name it. But what if you could use your magick to set up a easy low cost self care routine?

The Magick of Magical Self Care

If you are new to witchcraft, you may be question what magick is and how it works, much less how it can apply to self care. In a nutshell, magick is using the energy inside and around you to manifest positive things in your life. Whether spells, manifestations, wishes, spell jars whatever you choose to use. Each pulls energy and emotions to activate what you want to happen.

But what does this mean when talking about adding it to your self care routine? Self Care and Witchcraft are closely related. Both involve listening to your body, your spirit and your intuition. The main difference is witchcraft adds some extra tools and techniques.

Don’t believe me? Name off the 5 most popular self care suggestions. Got ’em? Bet at least a few include things like: journaling, baths or showers, candles,meditating and going outside. If you’ve been part of the witchcraft scene for more than a week I bet you’ve used all of these at least once over the course of your magick.

Adding Magick to your self care routine involves listening to your body and soul to find out what you need. By adding a self care ritual to your daily/weekly/monthly routine, you invoke deeper physical and spiritual healing and closer connection to the Universe and yourself.

Making a Magick Self Care Routine

The following list is just a few of the ideas you can add to your self care routine. Set it up for as often as you need. A 5 minute break to deal a tarot card or drink some tea is better than no break at all.

But! Be Authentic to yourself. If you don’t like something on the list, don’t do it. Change it to what benefits you. Only you know what you need. Use this to create your own individual path. And don’t make choices out of convenience or to strictly please others. You can’t pour from an empty cup, self care is how to refill that cup.

Work with the Moon Phases

If you don’t have time to make a self care routine everyday, set aside time once a week instead. Coordinating with the moon phases gives you specific actions to focus on depending on the cycle.

Full Moon – Celebrating. Giving Thanks and Gratitude.

Waning Moon -Releasing and Banishing. Going within for Spiritual Growth.

New Moon -Reflection. Setting intentions and goals.

Waxing Moon -Taking inspired actions.

By using these 4 phases, you can work on manifesting new goals, overcoming blockages in your physical, mental or spiritual life or just take time to manifest good energy for yourself.

Schedule out time on or around each moon phases( one day before, the day of or the day after works best). Set up a ritual as simple or as elaborate as you would like. If you like baths, take one. If you want to drink tea and talk to your tarot cards, do it!

Divination

By adding in this small routine every day, it helps you get into the right head space for the day as well as allowing you a glimpse at the possibilities for the day. Doing a reading first thing in the morning while you drink your coffee/tea/ favorite drink helps you to prepare for whatever you may need for the day.

Crystals

What Witchcraft post is complete without some crystals? If you’ve been following along all year then you know I mention crystals a lot. I feel that the energy crystals project helps to influence our energy and increase it. Some of the best crystals for self care, depression and mental health include:

Smoky Quartz

Lepidolite

Rose Quartz

Tiger’s Eye

Hematite

Selenite

Amethyst

Black Tourmaline

Carry these crystals on your person or place them around your home or sacred space. Keep a pouch in your car to boost your energy while commuting to work. Remember to cleanse and charge them frequently for optimal energy.( Check out my Crystals for Beginners post for more info on how to cleanse, charge and use crystals. Find that here.)

If you like to make your self care routine part of your beauty routine, check out the jade or rose quartz facial rollers!

Astrology

I’ve seen people who’ve read their birth charts and it’s mentioned every significant life event that’s happened in the past 5 years! But on that note, if you do read something in your birth-chart you don’t agree with, don’t feel that you’re doomed/destined to do only that. You can change your path at any time.

Energy Work and Spells

This is where the magic really comes in! This is probably the most important one considering most magic is energy work anyways.

To add energy work/ manifestation spells to your routine, Be very clear about what you want to bring into your life. Ask yourself questions like How do you want to feel or want to be? What do you want to have? Visualize yourself as having already achieved these goals or being where you want in life. Add in any required herbs or tools to boost your magic.

This type of visualization is great as a daily reminder and pick me up. Write down 3 things you want in life and leave it where you can see it everyday, preferably multiple times a day. Read over it frequently and visualize these goals as having been achieved.

Hearth and Kitchen Magick

Enchant your favorite tea or coffee with feelings of contentedness and comfort. Add herbs to your lunch, dinner or snack to encourage motivation, success or relaxation. Set up altars in your home that bring you feelings of happiness.Make a healthy hearty meal or your favorite sweet treat. There’s countless ways to use hearth and kitchen magic in your home. Just pick the ones that feel right to you.

Practice Gratitude

This is more about changing your mindset than it is actual gratitude. Use your journal or a note pad, write three things you are grateful for everyday. By looking at things in a positive light, your mindset changes to look at things from the good side.

Kinda like the saying every cloud has a silver lining or you get out of life what you put into it. If you notice yourself making a negative statement, mindset or thought, simply correct yourself to a more positive outlook. This affects the energy around you and will influence it to become more positive as well.

Create a Sacred Space(Or Spaces)

When people have an area to retreat to so they can recharge, or just an area to call their own, it immensely helps to prevent breakdowns, burnouts and shutting down. By creating sacred spaces around your home( or room if you live with parents or roommates) you create an area attuned to you.

When setting up your space, ask yourself these questions. What kind of space relaxes you? What helps you to slow down and just breathe? Is it time to declutter or reorganize my space? Is this personalized the way I want? These will help you decide how and what you want to change about your space.

Check out Pinterest for tons of DIY tutorials for things like plants, decor and inspirations. Keep it as simple or elaborate as you want. If you live in your own home or with people who are open to your magic, feel free to set up cozy spaces in every room! Use an assortment of crystals, plants, wall hangings, incense and candles(if you are able to burn things that is. Not everyone can handle incense smoke or some apartments don’t allow open flames. Check out sage spray and other things like essential diffusers for smoke free alternatives.)

Allow yourself space to Express yourself

One of the biggest weaknesses of hitting creative and emotional burnout is that people don’t take time to express themselves. Adult coloring books are helping with this, allowing people to create just for the sake of creating but there are tons of ways to encourage your inner child to break free.

By indulging in “childish” activities, you allow yourself a freedom to relax and have fun for the sake of having fun. When you are able to access your creative side freely, it increases your magical potential.

A Sample Day

Feel free to adjust your self care to your schedule are needed. Not everyone performs the same magic, works the same schedules or eats the same foods. Your path should fit your life. A day of adding magic and self care to my schedule looks something like this.

Morning

Get up and make coffee. Stir with intentions I want to manifest for the day.

Draw 1-3 tarot cards asking what my message for the day is. Write them down in my journal.

Get dressed for the morning and join my mother for all of our morning outdoor chores.

Open up and feed the chicken. Love on my favorite hens and rooster.

Feed and milk the goats and sheep. Ask one of my deities to watch over them especially as we get close to Lambing time.(Brigid, Freya, Hestia, Demeter and Pan are my normal go tos)

Come back over to the house(we live next door) and Feed the toddler for the morning.

Afternoon

Spend the day cleaning and playing, working on the blog or making products for the store.

While Munchkin is napping, light incense and turn on my preferred playlist for the day. I normally spend her nap time working but try and take at least one day a week to just relax with a movie or a book.

Evenings and Weekends

When Mr. Moose gets home we spend time as a family until its evening and time to close all the animals up for the night again.

Everyone gets baths or showers to clean up. I spend the end of my shower letting the water wash over me and cleanse all the energy and stagnant junk from the day as well as charging up for the next day.

On the weekends I try to spend time with Mr. Moose as well as take some quiet time for myself. I like to water all my plants, reorganize and clean my altar and working on ideas for the next week. I make sourdough bread every weekend that I bless with energy to keep my family strong and healthy. If Mr. Moose and I share a drink I’ll leave some in a shot glass on my altar for the Gods.

Now realize this is just a sample of what I do. Not everyday looks like this, and I don’t always add self care in every single day. But I try to make time at least once a week for a dedicated self care time with small blessings and intentions scattered throughout the day.

When I start having issues with burnout and stress, I drop everything but the essentials from my day and just try to take space to breathe and chill. That’s the upsides of being able to be flexible and customize what you need. Magick and self care is about listening to your spirit, body and intuition for what you need right now. Make sure you listen.

Some Notes about Self Care and Magick in General

I want to make sure you know outright. Self Care and especially Magick are not cures or fix-alls for illnesses, depression, bad jobs etc. They will help immensely if done consistently but these methods and techniques are purely to influence and empower things you are already doing.

But on that note. Don’t stress yourself if you are suffering from a bad episode of depression, health or anxiety. If you struggle to get out of bed on a daily basis, just do what you can until you can baby step back to where you need to be. Seek out medical or physical help if you need it and know you are loved, you are important and you are beautiful.

Make the Most of Your Self Care Routine with a bit of Magick in your Life

I hope you leave here with some ideas you can add into your life as well as ways to help improve it. Self care is important and is one of the most forgotten aspects of being healthy and at your best. Using the magic you already have inside you as well as setting up a consistent routine will help to make sure you get the most out of what you need. Magick on!

[aliceo035]

Warding

I've covered warding recently in my protection post. But here I will go into more detail on what warding is, the most popular ways to ward and how to create them as well as when to know when a ward is no longer useful or has been broken. I will also go into baneful warding and what it is.

What is warding?

Warding is a form of defensive magick which acts as your first line of defense against negativity. Be this baneful magick from another practitioner or negative entities and general negative energy. There are multiple ways to ward with each practitioner warding differently to the other. Wards come in all shapes and forms, and there is no limit as to how much warding you should do, you protect yourself as you see fit.

What is baneful warding?

Baneful warding is a form of warding in which the negative that hits a ward gets sent back to its source. Baneful warding is seen as a more "advanced" form of magick, however not too advanced for a novice to do with the appropriate amount of research. Baneful warding can come in the same forms as normal warding would.

Warding jars

Perhaps one of the most common wardings on this post, warding jats usually contain ingredients charged with the intention of warding. These ingredients usually range from herbs to bodily fluids such as saliva or blood. These jars are either buried on the practitioners property, left above entryway, left on an altar, or are carried with the practitioner when they want protection on the go.

A warding jar might contain: ashes of a warding sigil, bodily fluids, herbs and plants, crystals, bones, warding or protection oils, spices, metals, glass shards etc. These jars are then sealed with black or white wax (or are sealed in any other way, with glue, tape or simply just with intention).

When a warding jar is broken, you might find the contents of the jar to become moldy, the jar shatters, the seal might break or the contents of the jar to go off, you also might feel that the jar no longer has its power. When this happens, if the jar is intact, break the seal and empty the contents into the bin/trash or return them back to the earth. You can then cleanse the jar with your preferred method of cleansing and reuse the jar for another ward or spell.

Talismans and symbols

Talismans are objects which are charged with the intention fo protection or warding. A well known example would be the Nazar, known to ward off the evil eye.

Symbols are used to represent something or represent an intention example would be the pentacle/pentagram, a well known protection symbol. Another example could by the Eye of Horus, a symbol used by the Ancient Egyptians for protection, health and restoration.

You can create your own talismans and symbols to aid in warding. These might be used to ward against a specific thing, or can be used as a general ward to all negativity.

A talisman or symbol might break or feel like they're no longer useful once theyve done thier job. If this time comes, you can simply dispose of the old one and create a new one.

Sigils

Sigils are created and can be programmed with any purpose necessary. May this be warding ot cursing, they can be used for almost any working.

Sigils can be burnt to activate them, with the ashes being used in spells to add extra power. Sigils can be put up around your house or around your room for warding. These sigils can look like anything, simply draw them with the intention of warding.

Crystals

Crystals can be placed above entryways or in windows to act as a ward. Crystals can also be added to spells to give a desired effect or worn as jewellery to act as warding or protection on the go.

Some examples are: black obsidian, black tourmaline, clear quartz, amethyst, hematite.

When a crystal ward has been broken, the crystal might shatter, or go missing. Or you may feel the crystals energy feels different than usual. With crystals you cam simply cleanse and recharge the crystals to be used again!

Spells

Warding spells can be as simple as a dressed candle, or can be a complex ritual. Warding spells differ from practitioner to practitioner. Similar to warding jars, these spells might include the use of herbs, bodily fluids, crystals, plants etc. The methods of creating a warding spell vary, as there is no one way to create one.

When a ward breaks down, you might feel the ward break, or if it does what is intended, you might feel something bounce off the ward. Depending on the negativity sent your way, the ways in which you might feel a warding spell break down vary, this could range from feeling sluggish or nauseous to downright feeling psychic attack. (Whenever this happens, please consult a doctor, mundane before magical. What you may feel is a magical occurrence could be explained by illness, so please consult a doctor of you feel this way constantly)

Warding is a great form of protection which is used very often in a persons practice. While not all practitioners use warding, this is just to inform you of the ways you can ward to keep yourself safe in your practice!

[windvexer]

hey chicken! any good tips on cursing someone?

I got a few for ya' in the old grab bag of henpeckery.

Listed in no particular order.

One is generally advised to not curse another magical practitioner, especially one who Knows What They're Doing. But if hands must be thrown, ensure you have more than a couple wards up to break malefica - and if this person is in your friend group, under no circumstances can you accept gifts or food from them (and destroy anything they have given you). Do, however, try to give them gifts and pre-cursed foods.

Giving someone a cursed object or cursed food is an excellent way to get the job done. There's something very fairy-like in the way magic can work: by accepting the gift, they accept the curse, and it circumvents many natural defenses.

Perhaps more than any other form of magic, it does to pre-divine on the matter to see what outcome will occur. I highly encourage this when the cursing is done as a form of self-defense, because sometimes some forms of malefic magic can be fuel on the fire of abusive situations. However, even a practitioner of slight power can cause serious harm with a curse - perhaps more damage than intended. It's really just best to measure twice, as it were.

As with many spells, create for yourself a little indicator that the spell has worked. For example, wear one of those brittle hematite rings. If it breaks, the spell has become manifest. This is especially lovely if the person to be cursed is outside of your social circle and you don't have access to see if your manifestation worked.

Cleverness is all well and good, as is poetic justice. A witch does well to keep in mind, however, that their natural strengths may neither be clever nor poetic, and sometimes you've got to just make due with the tools you have in your toolbox.

When casting spells on yourself or your household, targeting isn't much of an issue. You're right there, the magic is right there, and voila. However, when working on a third party - especially one that doesn't live with you - targeting becomes relevant. If gifting an object or food to your target won't work, consider doing what you can to bring your curse into their presence by whatever physical means are safe and possible. If you can't do this, see if you can obtain something of theirs to work over by use of a poppet or some other sympathetic magic. If none of this is possible, try to make a thoughtform or employ a spirit to deliver your spell (or attack them outright), but this will be hard unless you know where they live. In other words: your spell has to get to them somehow. Figuring out how to make it happen is half the job.

Depending on how the magic is worked, it is beneficent to cleanse both yourself and your casting area after the work is done. If a spell must be kept ongoing and close at hand, cover it with a black cloth (or t-shirt, or whatever) and keep it out of view to avoid having your own space polluted with unwanted energies.

If you need a specific outcome for your own wellbeing, consider employing as many spells as you require to obtain that outcome. E.g. one for binding a tongue, another for getting that person fired, another to calm gossip in the workplace, and so on.

Pay extremely little mind to people with moral admonitions, but keep their scoldings filed away. In a few months or years, in moments of reflection, ask yourself whether or not they were right.

If for no other spell, this time, write down precisely what you do. If for no other reason than to cackle maniacally as you see exactly how each little ingredient of your spell plays out in their lives.

[ladykailitha]

Oh For a Muse of Fire! Epilogue

I want to thank everyone for the lovely support. I saw a couple questions about the other characters in the comment section of the last one and wanted to clear up a couple of things. Crystal=Argyle (he picked the name because he thought it sounded cool), Onyx=Dimitri (like @n0-1-important guessed in part 11). Diamond and his family were all OCs more on them here. Michelle (the whiny chick in the art class) is the only other OC. I tried as much as possible to include characters from the show when I could.

And to answer @ goodolefashionedloverboi‘s question: Jonathan and Nancy are in couple’s therapy and are doing better.

And then one final thing to explain (the curses of doing a WIP and posting it one at a time not every thread I put down got picked up again, oops!) is the garnet rings. I love gem stones and geology. It fascinates me so much so that I took it as an elective in high school. When I was researching a fic (don’t remember which one now) I was looking at Eddie’s rings. And a lot of people were making replicas with hard stones like hematite, onyx, or something that didn’t have cuts or facets. But Eddie’s ring sparkles. It’s clearly a gemstone. So I went looking up grey or black gemstones. I found a couple it could be but they weren’t discovered until the 90s (and while the ACTUAL stone the prop maker used could be that, I COULDN’T call it that). And then I found a grey garnet. It was a perfect match. It sparkles the way his does, the different shades it gets from the show, spot on. Hence the garnet.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12  Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17

*

Two years later:

Variety Interview with Corroded Coffin

Max Mayfield: Hello, can you guys introduce yourselves for the people that have been hiding under a rock for the last two years?

They all laugh.

Jeff: I’m Jeff Lawrence, I’m rhythm guitar.

Gareth: I’m Gareth Hughes, I’m on drums.

Brian: I’m Brian Martin, I’m the bass guitarist.

Eddie: And I’m Eddie Munson, frontman, lead guitar, lead vocalist, and songwriter.

MM: That’s a lot of titles for one person.

JL: That’s because he’s the most dramatic out of all of us. He has to have allll the titles. Can’t share with the rest of us.

EM: Hey!

They all laugh again.

BM: Hey, you know it’s true.

EM: Yeah...but you’re giving away all my secrets right off the bat. Can’t you save some for later in the interview.

The other three look at each other.

JL, BM, GH: No.

Eddie throws his arms in the air.

EM: I’m telling Steve!

The other three look mock frightened for all of three seconds before they start laughing at him.

JL: You know Steve would agree with us.

Eddie pouts

MM: Can you tell us who Steve is?

Eddie fiddles with the singular ring on his right hand, looking down, bashfully. It one that I haven’t seen. Everyone is familiar with the the three chunky rings on his left hand. But this one is on his ring finger. The grey stone flashes as he plays with it.  

EM: He’s the love of my life and my muse.

JL: He’s an art teacher back home.

BM: He’s our Eddie wrangler.

GH: He’s our band mascot.

I laugh.

MM: He sounds pretty special. How did you guys meet?

JL: We all went to high school together, actually.

MM: Oh, so were you high school sweethearts, then?

Eddie laughs.

GH: Yeah, no. He laughs.

BM: Let’s just say they started off on the wrong foot.

JL: The wrong everything, let’s be honest.

EM: Not my proudest moment. I was doing a favor for a family friend being a live model for an art class about five years later and assumed the worst about him.

MM: You mean there are actual art of you naked out there?

Eddie blushes.

EM: Several pieces in fact. But my favorite is Stevie’s. It’s still hanging up in our house in my studio.

GH: I’ve seen it. It’s not gross or anything.

JL: It won best in show at the art gala it was featured in.

BM: I think he’s totally wasted as an art teacher. He could be making more than we do selling his art work. But he loves working with kids.

MM: Sounds like the perfect guy.

EM: scoffs I love Steve, but he can be the most basic bitch. And he tends to be overprotective too.

GH: But we are here to talk about the new album.

MM: Fair enough. So tell me about working on Silent Killer. This is your second album, is that correct?

JL: Yeah, our self titled debut album just went double platinum. We knew going in it was going to be a tough act to follow.

GH: When we went platinum the first time, our manager Murray Bauman sent black flowers to all the record labels that passed on us.

EM: It was very suitably bitchy. It’s why he’s our manager.

MM: Certainly sounds like it. Do you guys deviate from your first album’s style in this one?

They look at each other and Eddie shrugs

EM: I mean, not really. It’s a more somber album to be sure. There was a song that we wanted to include on Corroded Coffin but decided it didn’t fit with the overall theme of the album that made its way on this one.

MM: Which song is that?

BM: Thorns and Thistles. It’s the song that got us our agent in the first place.

JL: Yeah. Murray was mad when the record label didn’t want to use it this time round. He fought tooth and nail to get on the album.

EM: Have you heard it yet?

I nod.

MM: Yeah. It’s beautifully heartbreaking. You say your label didn’t want to use it?

BM: They thought it was too sad.

JL: So to prove them wrong we sent it out as our first single, before we even started really working on the album.

MM: It had already gone gold before you announced the new record. That must have really got stuck in their craw.

EM: We’ve been laughing all the way to the bank.

MM: You guys won a Grammy for Song of the Year for The Jester and the King and Best New Artist. How was that for you?

BM: God I don’t know which of us bawled more on that stage. But it was everything we hoped for.

JL: Winning Song of the Year was a life changer. But no one thought we were going to win Best New Artist.

MM: No?

Eddie shakes his head.

EM: It rarely goes to a rock artist, especially a metal one. Everyone thought it would go to the kid...what’s his name...? He snaps his fingers.

JL: JJ Jenner.

EM: That’s the one. Fifteen year old kid with the pipes of an angel. Everyone, including us thought it would be him.

MM: Oh, I remember now, they put the kid’s reaction to losing on the jumbotron or whatever they call their big screen.

GH: I almost felt sorry for him.

Eddie grins.

EM: Almost.

MM: When you do red carpet events, Eddie, you bring your two lesbian friends with you, while the rest of the band brings their partners. Is there a reason you don’t bring yours? Especially since I learned your partner’s name is Steve.

All the members of the band shift uncomfortably in their seats, stealing glances at each as they silently decide who is going to answer the question.

MM: Oh. I feel like I stepped on a sensitive topic. I didn’t mean to.

Gareth clears his throat.

GH: Steve’s privacy is very important to us. There are times he would like to go to these things with Eddie...

JL: But he still gets attacks and can’t. He looks down at his hands. So he goes with the girls dress shopping and helps pick out their outfits for the night.

Eddie looks like he’s going to tear up.

EM: We’re working on it. He knew going to our relationship that this might become an issue but I always do what I can to make it up to him the moment I get home.

They all look somber, so I decide to change the direction of the interview.

MM: What’s next for the Corroded Coffin boys?

They brighten up almost immediately.

BM: Touring. We’ve got an American tour this spring and then a European tour this summer.

MM: Is there a reason you decided to wait on the European tour until summer?

Eddie blushes and the rest of the band nudge him playfully.

EM: It’s so Steve can come with us. He can’t leave during the school year, but he likes touring with us when it’s out for summer break.

MM: Ah ha.

The conversation turns to non-band related things again and I watch how close they are. It’s great to see a band that are still friends after years of playing together. Even though they’ve only been big for two years, they have been playing for twelve.

Let’s hope that they stay that way for the next twenty.

-Max Mayfield

The Final Tag List: @artiststarme @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @itsall-taken @m-owo-n @zerokrox-blog @runyousillydetective @grimmfitzz @wonderland-girl143-blog @sapphirecobalt-1 @scheodingers-muppet @victor-thee-corvid @apricottree @bookbinderbitch @sleepyboosstuff @biatcgh @pixiefallingupthestairs @grtwdsmwhr @thepainisspicy @carlyv @eboyawstenn @bisexualdisastersworld @bidisastersworld @abstractnaturaldisaster @evix-syne666 @nerdsconquerall @lololol-1234 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @a-little-unsteddie @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @elluminis @tailsfromthecrypt @danili666 @plyerice27 @alittlegreyfish  @n0-1-important @no-upper-limit-to-stupidity @maya-custodios-dionach @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @heaven428 @thedragonsaunt @ceaselessly-watching @imfinereallyy @messrs-weasley @sharingisntkaren @nohomoyesbi

[friendscfmine]

The Marshes had always been fairly well-off, between Randy’s career as a geologist, then Tegridy Farm’s success.  There had been a time when the farm struggled a little, but his dad bolstered that by… being Lorde apparently.  On the whole, though, it left Stan in a pretty good position to pay for his friends when they went out.  But the Harrisons seemed well-off, too—those families who were really serious about church stuff usually were—God provided, or whatever.  So, of course, Gary, probably with plenty of his own money, wouldn’t be much swayed by a financial incentive.

The warm hand on Stan’s arm left him much uplifted, however, and he smiled fondly at Gary.  “Well… yeah, I do want to,” he confessed, less for the nachos themselves and more for the social experience of getting them with someone.  He didn’t know why it was like pulling teeth to get him to make a concrete decision, but maybe it was because he had been blindly following Cartman and Kyle around for so many years, caught up in the whirlwind of whatever they were doing.  Every time he tried to stake out on his own, it tended not to go well, and he ended up following them around again.  It was easier than figuring out what he really wanted, just like his mother had told him.  He understood it now.

He couldn’t blame everything on everyone else, and he should have been making better decisions forever ago, but he was… working on it.  And it felt good to say, This is what I want, and this is what we’re doing.

He twisted a hematite ring around his finger.  It was an empath ring that Henrietta had given him to ward off spirits, and it looked good with black.  “I’m glad, too,” he said, wishing he’d had on his pale foundation to obscure the color in his cheeks.  Since he started spending more time outside (not by his own choice, mind), it started looking stupid on him and took too much extra effort to get it to look seamless, so he had given up.

He opened his mouth to ask Gary where he wanted nachos from before remembering it was his own idea.  “How about Candela’s?” he said, one of the more ‘authentic’ places in town, with the usual heavy air-quotations that needed to accompany Americans enjoying anything ‘authentic.’  “They’ve got more than nachos if you’re in the mood for something else.  Who knows—by the time, we sit down, I’ll probably want something different, too.”

        Gary's opinion on the matter honestly wasn't swayed much, if at all, by Stan offering to pay if they got nachos. While he did certainly appreciate Stan deciding he'd pay, he also wasn't really the type of person to be swayed when he got things for free or just without any cost to himself. He was pretty often the sort of person to pay for himself and others, even strangers, after all.

        “ I'm afraid not. ” He answers honestly but he's still giving a light smile. He doesn't mean it in a matter that he doesn't want to get some or doesn't care to, even if Stan pays. “ But I appreciate the offer, and don't mind if you'd like to pay. ”

He was perfectly fine with getting some, paying for himself or not. It really was just a matter of him not having a strong opinion... but maybe he should have said it would have changed his opinion. He wasn't sure if Stan would take his continued indifference or lack of strong opinion negatively. Gary had noticed that he had seemed to do so previously. With how Stan looked away when he'd first said it.

        “ Stan. ” He says the other's name, seemingly sympathetically, after a moment as he didn't wish to let him take his indifference as defeat. He can tell Stan is trying to be decent to him, nice to him. Especially with how things had gone between them before. But, really, there was no need to try and appeal to him all that much.

“ I really don't mind. I'd like to if you want to. ” He placed a hand on Stan's arm for a moment, as if it were to somehow show he was being genuine. “ I'm just happy to hang out with you again... so, either way, I'm fine with it. ”