#I really love them I do I think the concept of an order of spiritual monk/knights with laser swords and mind powers

[solardrink]

Shoutout to plo koon the only star wars character ever

[shrimz08]

AANG ＆ OZAI PARALLELS: DEBUNKED

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Because apparently the true villain is the sole survivor of a genocide of his entire nation, and not the imperialist colonizer.

Where do I even begin?? Because I’m genuinely holding in laughter writing this, it’s absolutely insane how certain people can make such egregious parallels that aren’t even found in the first place. 

AH, so a little backstory on how this fucking shit stained idea even came to existence, well our dear z^tara fans pissed their pants over Zuko and Katara not tying the knot, so, as a way of retribution for their supposed “honour” They take any chance to jump on the Aang hate train and make him into some irredeemable abusive demon, aaand they got that perfect opportunity because the LoK decided to take a lick out of the great “Main Characters Must Be Bad Parents In The Sequels” Trope. Which personally, does absolutely nothing to the protagonists resolution aside from cheap family drama but I digress. 

Now, I’m not behind the idea of the writers trying to make Aang a “flawed” Parent, I think it really makes no sense by how they went about it, (I might touch on this in another post) 

((And it’s so very clear that they’re trying to give it a soft “retcon” And even taking extra steps saying that Kya and Bumi just “remember wrong” Which I’ll actually take, because season two of LOK was hell on earth anyway so you might as well give it some saving grace.)) 

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There’s three main parallels that they got from Ozai and Aang: (god help me)

Favouring a child

isolating the rest

leaving pressure On the golden child

I’m going to debunk all three of them while trying not to fall into complete lunacy over how ridiculous they are. 

Favouring a child + Leaving pressure: 

OK, so people are clearly blind with context clues and media comprehension, got it. No surprise whatsoever. I can’t be disappointed if I didn’t even have any expectations to begin with. 

Let’s compare the treatment on how Ozai treats Azula, and how Aang treats Tenzin. (Holy Shit)

Beginning with Ozai, well.. It doesn’t take much of a rocket scientist to understand that Ozai essentially could not give two fucks about Azula, as she in essence, serves the role of an attack dog, as long as it does its job, it’s worthy. 

Ozai favoured Azula because she was molded to match his ferocity and hunger for power, she was a prodigy bender, and was cunning and calculated, all traits that Ozai found endearing and someone worthy to be crowned the next “fire lord.” His “favouring” Of her didn’t come out of genuine love or care, she is his tool who serves a purpose. In short, she showed more competency and more ruthlessness and callousness in comparison to Zuko. Which earned her, her place as the “Golden Child.”  

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None of this is even remotely similar to how Aang treated Tenzin and his kids, aside from the fact he supposedly “favoured” Tenzin more, but that is such a baseline statement and has absolutely no relation with Ozai's reasons.

You have to understand that an entire FUCKING NATION IS DEAD. History, Culture, Tradition, is at the BRINK of being wiped out, Tenzin is quite literally the only Airbender that will be left after Aangs passing. Why do people devalue this concept so much? 

“B-BUT THE AIR ACOLYTES1!!” Still have limited knowledge, airbending is so heavily tied to its spiritual roots, you LOSE your ability to AIRBEND, if you aren't inclined to your spiritual side. Which is a core part of the air nomad culture. Tenzin is... Literally the only god forsaken part left of that, so yeah. It’s a pretty big fucking deal. Aang values his culture and teachings to such a high degree, he is literally the survivor of a genocide. His favouring of Tenzin was done out of necessity and love, not out of a need for power and a new attack dog to send orders around. 

Tenzin will literally be the future “Director” Or guide for the next avatar to learn airbending, people still forget this, and it’s hilarious. He needs to know all the moves, all the teachings because he will be the next avatar's personal guide. 

Aang constantly reassures him, and apologizes for the pressure that may be put upon him but he always reaffirms that he’ll be there to guide him and they’ll “learn together”

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So yeah not the same thing at all. Fuck you for being so inept at understanding the different reasons and perspectives of those situations, just for some petty ship discourse, genuinely disgusting.

Isolating the children:

OK this part, I have to say that the writers definitely messed up with aangs characterization, but I think the execution came out way differently than the intention, so I will try to look more into the intention of each decision.

Ozai isolated Zuko, mistreated him, belittled him, PHYSICALLY ABUSED HIM, but yeah totally on par with Aang actually. 

I don’t wanna touch on this part much mainly because his treatment was literally explained all throughout the show, and granted, while I understand most of these people haven’t touched the show aside from reading fanfic 300000 Where Aang is revealed to us as satan himself, but perhaps, even a small peak at Ozai's parenting would reveal the laughable contrast between the two.

Zuko was a slow learner, and much more of a softie, and a “mama's boy” To Ozai’s heavy dislike, he was thus treated as such, he was belittled, turned down, and literally burnt alive for showing “weakness” He is meant to serve as a direct contrast to Azula, ”The everything he isn't.” 

Kya and Bumi on the other hand, don’t show any actual signs of trauma aside from some petty jabs they threw at Tenzin, 

Bumis talk with Aang at the statue was *very very* Clearly, meant to highlight his own inferiority complex that he internalized growing up. His need for proving himself to be capable of doing just as much if not more than a “bender” Probably happened because his two parents were both prodigy benders and him being a first born son who was a non-bender must’ve hit pretty hard for him, and I’m so sure that katara and Aang reassured how special he is but that kind of thing doesn’t really go away.

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Kya: [while healing Bumi] I told you those rocks were slippery. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself.

Bumi: You done with the lecture, mom?

Kya: Oh, grow up. You haven't changed one bit since we were kids. You're still trying to prove you can do everything a bender can. Well, you can't. Deal with it.

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 That talk with Aangs statue was very much meant to unveil an internal struggle rather than a conflict he had with his father. Kya even doubles down on this, telling him “of course he’d be proud of you” Basically spoon feeding to us, the viewers, that this is much more of internal than an external conflict that he has to overcome along the show. 

“Why Didn’t he share his culture with them 1!!1!” 

He most definitely did, or tried to, but it’s clear they didn’t show much interest so he didn’t pester, this is shown many times throughout the show. 

“You know I could never keep all those gurus straight… There were like a million of them!

remember that long boring story about the guy who never ate?”

This is literally Kya’s remark to Tenzin just after he tried teaching the airbender students this story, basically telling us that Aang DID try to tell them about his stories and culture, but much to their disinterest, didn’t try any further. 

And Bumi, literally could not pay attention to the story to save his life, and instead decided to fool around in his literal 60’s!! I mean Imagine what he was like when he was a kid!! 

I could imagine their dynamic was very similar to Jinora with Meelo and Ikki, Tenzin being the only one with actual interest and care, whilst Bumi and Kya goofing off and not putting much focus onto it. WHICH IS FINE BTW!! 

It only goes to reiterate that Tenzin was the only one who was actually giving interest and attention to the air nomad culture, and it was of Kya and Bumi’s own personal choice to not partake in it. To each their own I see. 

“BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VACATIONS” 

This.. I agree, weird for the writers to decide this, but given how they low-key are retconning it in interviews, my best guess is that each of those trips were side-quests during their journey to teach an important lesson that might’ve just drowned out because Tenzin may not have remembered it as well. 

Also keep in mind that Tenzin was put into a lot of pressure, Aang probably saw this, and as a way to still keep it enjoyable, he took him to trips that would help ease the mind for a little kid whilst also learning something valuable. That seems pretty on brand for Aang actually

And given that Kya and Bumi are literally in their fucking 60’s it wouldn’t surprised me if they didn’t have the greatest memory. Hell, they didn’t even fault Aang as a parent until Tenzin started boasting about “trips” That Kya and Bumi gave petty jabs but weren’t actually showing genuine hurt, just annoyance.

Kya even comments how Aang was too busy “Trying to save the world, and doing his duty that he didn't have much time for them” 

Phrasing as if it wasn't anything "important" But it's clear that this was Kya's own personal irritation towards Tenzin rather than an actual evaluation on Aang's duties.

A continuation comic best explains it in a deeper way:

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Literally showing that “neglecting” His kids wasn't up to him, and was out of a sense of necessity, trying to cram as much knowledge onto Tenzin, the only one who was basically putting his lessons into practices. Kya and Bumi were left feeling neglected. But that wasn’t out of his decision; he still loved them dearly.

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This. Literally highlighting how much pressure was forced upon Aang, so yes, as any person would, he struggled with making time for everybody. Holy shit who knew?? 

GASP!! IS THAT… A REALISTIC BUT UNDERSTANDABLE FLAW!!?? HOW DARE YOU! ITS OZAI #2 

The fact that the smiley energetic person forgets to SMILE, is a big deal, man was put through hells amount of stress but he never cracked.

So tell me, how is a genocidal freak, who treats his golden child like a tool and abuses the other both physically and emotionally for showing “weakness’ 

Even remotely comparable to

 the sole survivor of a genocide, trying to withhold his teachings and culture onto literally his only child that showed actual effort in doing so, while also maintaining the balance of an entire fucking world and being literally the biggest “advisor” And “Mentor” For society, OH! And also building and managing a literal city, but along the way struggling to make time for his children. 

Guess what, they’re not. And if you think they are. You are an idiot, with bias and headcanons.

So the conclusion is, Aang is a flawed parent, but he isn't a "bad" Parent - confirmed by the literal writers.

Comparing him to Ozai a literal dictator, is absolutely sickening, just for your petty shipping discourse when this show's been over for a decade is insane. Indulge in what you enjoy, but stop projecting delusions like they're canon.

:D

[morningstargirl666]

what are your top ten favorite klaroline fics?

Ooooo let me think... in no particular order:

The Lost Prince & The Eternal Queen by @3tinkgemini /3tingemini

Oh this is a beloved favourite. Caroline's a werewolf alpha and Klaus, fresh from breaking his curse, searches her pack out to turn them into hybrids. Instead of forces them to turn, Caroline makes a deal with him, teaching him what it means to be who they are, offering him a place in her pack and if by a certain amount of time her pack want to become hybrids, he may turn as many as he wishes. It's got some great lore and delves nicely into Klaus' werewolf side. I adore it.

The Stubborn Grace of Being Loved Regardless by @helpless-in-sleep / perfectpro

Also an all-time favourite, this fic is beautiful. Caroline isn't turned into a vampire and when Klaus rolls into town, she's still human. That doesn't deter his affections. AND DID I MENTION YOU GET TO SEE HIM IN WOLF FORM? NO? WELL YOU DO AND I AM STILL NOT OVER IT 😭😭😭

Wisteria by @little-miss-sunny-daisy / sunnydaisy

Caroline meets Klaus before he comes to Mystic Falls, without realising he is in fact, The Klaus, The Original Hybrid. A beautiful love story unfolds that leaves you all soft and gooey inside.

The Howling by @bellemorte180 / BelleMorte180

I LOVE the idea of this two-shot. It's a werewolf mate au - wherein both Klaus and Caroline are werewolves. There's also ✨Damon murder✨ Need I say more?

From The Eastern Mountains by @cupcakemolotov / Cupcakemolotov

Read this not too long ago actually and kicked myself for not finding it sooner. In between grieving her mother, travelling and finding her own place in the world, Caroline keeps bumping into Klaus. The scene at the market haS changed me on a fundamental level, i even don't know why that scene's the most vivid for me but it is. There's just something so mundane about it. AND HELL YES WE GET KLAUS IN WOLF FORM!!! Go forth and read.

Their Nightly Ritual by bellamywinchester

A fic from my ffnet days, this has got to be a contender for my favourite kc fic of all time. Again, there's just something so mundane about it, even with all the supernatural shenanigans - I guess I have a type? I NEED THE DOMESTICITY OKAY? Caroline and Klaus exchange phone calls while she's in college, diverging from season 5 canon.

Blood and A Quick Murder (and isn't that how it always is?) by @ks-caster / KS_Caster

A beautiful character study on how Caroline will always come first in Klaus' books. It explores a really unique idea I've never seen before, and if you like this one-shot you should definitely check out ks-caster's Red Queen series too, which diverges from canon at season 4.

Till I Tasted You by @kirythestitchwitch / KiryTheStitchWitch

GOD this fic is a favourite because never have I ever been ruined so severely by one line of dialogue: “As if I could be jealous of a boy who has no concept of what it is like to touch the sun and then spend a millennium looking for daylight in every strangers’ face.” YOU SEE??? HOW WILL I FIND LOVE NOW THIS IS MY STANDARD???

[muffled screaming]

Wicked Schemes by willowaus

This one is probably on every klaroline rec list, but eh, I don't care. It's a good classic. I love that its set in New Orleans and Caroline gets her own powers. It also has Klaus in wolf form and any fic that has that instantly earns my seal of approval, as you should know by now.

the fate makes for a lousy poet by @stars-and-darkness / for_darkness_shows_the_stars

I binged this in a morning and after I finished it I was left shell shocked, in that high state after a fic has completely changed you on a spiritual level where you don't know how to move on with your life. I just remember lying atop my bed and staring at the ceiling like??? What do I do now??? What was I doing before I read this??? Fuck if I know. It's an amazing fic, canon divergent from season 3, a tattoo soulmate au with brilliant appearances from Kol, Elijah and Rebekah as well. And hey, in my shell shock after reading it I left an essay-length comment on the fic and now I'm best mates with the author. Our tastes literally align so perfectly it's like we share the same brain cell, so I could probably make a top ten klaroline fic list out of Ella's fics alone - every fic of hers takes all my hopes and dreams and weaves them into art. So check her stuff out, and not just the popular ones either (she's also got an amnesia au in the works which has me FERAL so come help me pester her to finish it)

[mysticbewitched]

What are your thoughts on letting go of the ego? I've been reading into non-dualism and thought I was getting a better understanding who I am as God/consciousness. But some people have said you have to completely drop the ego in order for consciously create things effortlessly. And by dropping it I also drop all desires/fears attached to the ego. Is that the same thing as not identifying with our human selves and accepting that everything is already perfect? Like maybe I'm misunderstanding but it almost sounds like they're saying to learn to be indifferent to whatever circumstances our human selves are going through to the point where there is no desire to change it. At that point, its like just accept whatever it is you're going through and deal with it, like we were doing before finding out about manifesting, which is something I really don't want to do lol.

Excellent question and I have so many thoughts to share surrounding the subject of the egoself. My thoughts about the concept of "letting go of the ego" are completely different from the majority rule.

First of all, I want to clarify here that consciousness is not the true self. Your true self as God is total, unconditioned awareness. This is your Higher Self.

Awareness is unchanging, pure, and objective. That absolute awareness of existing and experiencing life through your eyes is who/what you really are behind the manifestation of this elaborate human disguise.

Consciousness is only a dual state of mind attached to your personal sense/perception of yourself as an individual. States of consciousness are an entirely subjective lens of perception and they can change.

You are not consciousness. Consciousness is a state of mind with an identity attached to it.

You are not the mind and you are not the body.

Awareness is the creative power of divine creation operating through your dominant state of perception according to your own sense of identity as an individual in the human experience.

Now that we have gotten all that jazz out of the way:

Onto answering your question.

People who teach others to "kill the ego" and push them to completely strip away their sense of humanity are perpetuating such a harmful, destructive mentality for anyone learning the nature of nonduality. The constant push for demonizing and villainizing the egoself goes against what it truly means to be living from spiritual self-awareness.

It is so ridiculously harmful and unreasonable to tell others to deny their human selves and detach from the human experience. The whole paradox of it all is that people who want you to destroy your sense of humanity and "kill the ego" are operating from the mind of the egoself instead of a spiritual mind.

Not to mention, by detaching from the egoself, so many things about the human experience would lose its incredible beauty and deeper meanings:

loving relationships, forming deep and meaningful connections with others, falling madly in love, living with passion in your veins, and embracing the whole magnificence of living in existence.

All of those treasures and those little moments to live for in life would completely lose its meaning and beauty. By completely detaching yourself from your sense of humanity, life would seem meaningless, pointless, and those special moments would no longer be exciting because you would realize that it's all just a clever game of awakening to your true self.

If experiences in life feel meaningless, dull, and pointless: why the hell would anyone want to embrace the human experience? Everything in life would feel as though nothing matters anymore.

As spiritual beings, we should want to embrace the incredible beauty of this manifested existence after awakening to our divine true self. The human experience was a desire for God to experience what it would be like to live as a human.

I think the notion that we must completely detach from our human selves is absolutely preposterous and ignorant of what it truly means to live from a spiritually awakened mind. These ridiculous concepts that so many people blindly accept defeat the purpose of what it means to be spiritually awake.

Imagine throwing any and all attachment to your sense of human identity away? And all for what?

To please a whole bunch of bloggers who push you to deny the existence of your human aspects?

The same bloggers who feed you bullshit lies about this incredible human experience that God: the creator of *all existence* manifested into the flesh "being just meaningless and pointless"?

Be honest with yourself: Is that what you truly want?

You can have the best of both worlds with the egoself and the God state of mind working in balanced harmony to open up a blissful, heavenly experience for you after awakening.

We are here as a manifestation in human form to simply enjoy and embrace the existence that we created as God with open arms.

Life is beautiful. This existence is meant to be treasured and cherished for all the beauty it holds.

There is absolutely no need to attack the ego or destroy it. The ego should be left alone, completely.

Now to the next point:

Your focus should never be on the egoself.

The priority here is meant to be on transforming your sense of perception of yourself after you discover the absolute divinity of your true self.

The main focus of nonduality and spiritual awakening is to transform your perception of yourself from victimhood to the confident God state of mind. Leave the ego alone, entirely.

When you are operating from your true self as God then you allow your egoself to naturally be guided and aligned with your Higher Self.

The egoself and your Higher Self are meant to be in balanced unity with each other as the confident God state of mind takes the reigns of your perception.

Your egoself and God state simply work together in harmony as one for you to experience a deeper, and more fulfilled appreciation for your own experiences in your life after awakening to God itself having a real human experience.

This is where true bliss and inner peace comes in.

When you are living from the spiritual consciousness of truly knowing yourself as God then you are able to embrace the absolute beauty and treasure of the human experience from an inner state of bliss, freedom, and peace. This is true enlightenment.

Every day would be blissful and peaceful as you operate from the awareness of your divine inner power and your true self's identity as God to create the ultimate reality of your dreams.

As a bonus, you would find yourself being able to form deeper, and more meaningful connections with others. The type of intense connections that align together on a deeply transcendent, spiritual level.

You would be experiencing Heaven on Earth all the time and you would experience an intensified, deeper appreciation for the human experience. You would realize this manifested existence is such a gift.

Last thing I want to leave you with:

When you operate from the God state of mind then your conscious manifestation journey is ultimately transformed into a Heavenly paradise as you find yourself living from inner confidence and trust in your own ability to create.

Turn within and listen to your heart.

You do not ever need to sacrifice your egoself in order to embrace your true self as God and manifest the reality of your dreams with ease.

Don't listen to others telling you otherwise, you make the decision. You are God in human form.

Your reality, your decision.

[frogoru]

i think i've been able to stay relatively calm about my faith as of recently (i had a small freak out period a little while back about homosexuality but i've mostly gotten over it) but i keep finding myself wondering about what's going to happen to me if everything i'm continuing to indulge in is like... actually a sin. i like to cherry pick the bible and i know that's frowned upon but i don't think i could live under those kind of restrictions, and i've been doing well and content in doing so but what if?? what if.

i keep finding it difficult to call myself a christian since whenever i do it, i feel ashamed because the whole point of being one is that you're supposed to base your life around christ's teachings... which i am clearly not doing!! homosexuality is the main thing i struggle with stressing out about but lust in general is a huge one and all the other temptations that people deal with on the daily and although i limit myself a healthy amount i don't really acknowledge it as me sinning usually because i have a "this is normal" mindset but what if this is all going to contribute to me being turned away and eternally damned.

i don't think i can fully grasp the concept of being damned to hell. when i was little i was scared of going there but for a majority of my life i've been in a state of spiritual decline and now that i'm catching up on everything again i feel like the time i spent not worrying about it is all pouring onto me now and it's so!! man!! so many things in scripture don't make sense to me and i hate that they don't make sense because if i want to be a believer, then i need to... like... BELIEVE, but it's so hard. i'm so jealous of people who are easily accepting of it because I WANT THAT i want that unwavering faith. i want that sense of security. i want to be able to believe that God loves and wants what's best for me but i don't and i hate it.

i liked to imagine that the things that bother me about the bible were added in by people wanting to corrupt it but if each translation basically gets at the same thing then i'm pretty sure i'm wrong about that. i try to dance around how a large part of myself is seen as immoral and an abomination to the religion i try to put my faith in but i keep encountering instances where it's hammered into my mind and i hate it so much. i hate that something so beautiful can be seen as wrong in the eyes of an all-loving god. i don't understand how god is all-loving when he's allowed so much pain and suffering to overtake the world and i don't understand why he can't just change things himself if he's the creator of everything. that's so blasphemous to say but that belief is so hard to go by with just your faith as your guide.

it makes me so upset to know that no matter how good of a person i try to be, it just isn't enough to gain salvation on my own. i love jesus as anyone else would but the notion of having to submit and obey a set of rules in order to have eternal life and not go through an eternity of suffering after i die makes me feel odd and i wish it didn't. it feels so constraining in a bad way and i wish it didn't!! i had to read an article a while ago about how god's love is supposed to feel constraining and i was like wow this is so sick and awesome what a cool way to put it but when i actually think about how i would apply that to my life it feels... CONSTRAINING OBVIOUSLY!! because so many of my interests and things that make me human are based around sin

i'm going out of my way to continue sinning and i probably won't stop anytime soon. it's so hard. i used to be so proud and happy in my attraction to women but now it feels like such a sensitive topic that i need to keep secret or else the people i know and admire in my personal life will judge and pity me. i'm so anxious about them finding my online presence and realizing how fucking weird i am because a handful of people i know in real life regard me very positively and i'm so terrified of having that image shattered.

i'm going to continue acknowledging that god loves me despite the things i surround myself with and indulge in. i feel so pathetic talking about this kind of thing because on one hand i don't want my religious friends to know because ermmm jazzy why are you rebelling against god knowingly?? not good not good. i hate the thought of being judged for this

[dykeulous]

i really enjoy your content but you said "baking, cake decorating and other “jobs” are presumably not going to fade away themselves, but the person performing them won’t feel obligated to stay connected to them, and thus won’t feel an innate connection to said “jobs”, as capitalism won’t be there to enforce labor & create spiritual links between the laborer and executed labor." and to me, i feel like those so-called spiritual links will still exist bc people spend their whole lives trying to find their calling, and i for example with my job do find some meaning in it and have formed a strong attachment. it does link itself to my identity, and i'm glad it does, as do lots of my friends. yeah we could've gone different routes, but i don't think someone identifying with their job is an inherently bad thing. if i was offered jobs in other fields i would still stick with this job and all its faults bc i feel like i belong and my unique skills match so well with it. so many ppl are struggling at jobs they hate ofc, and i hope we can make those jobs more enjoyable and give them a way out if they want it thru capitalism reform/abolition. but i feel like it's a bit of a stretch to say that when a person isn't forcibly glued to a job they, like you said, "won't feel obligated to stay connected to them, and thus won't feel an innate connection to said "jobs" as capitalism won't be there to [...] create spiritual links between the laborer and executed labor." maybe i'm just misunderstanding what you mean by spiritual link?

when a person engages with the capitalist system by baking, they tend to produce & center their identity around this baking– hence being a baker. after capitalism is dismantled & the base is changed– the superstructural identity around being a baker will fade– and, like i said, this does not mean that the “job” itself will; it just means that there will no longer be a system to orchestrate it, enforce labor; meaning that a person may really enjoy baking, but there will be no oppressive relations connected to labor there to make the reality of identifying with being a baker exploitative. thus, a person may engage with baking, without being a baker. a person may “identify” with their career, without feeling obligated to stay within that career for their entire life.

i understand that people spend their whole lives searching for this so-called calling. but i hope you also understand that the concept of this calling is, in fact, connected to the superstructure of capitalism & concentration, and thus, enforcement of labor. the identity of a baker, after capitalism & oppressive relations of labor are dismantled, may shift & fade as it wills, and remain unfixed. it won’t be enforced, fixed, or spiritual, in other words. of course, people will be still able to love their careers– in fact, they will probably enjoy them more– as they will own the means of production; however, when i speak of spiritual capitalism, i speak of the obligatory links the exploitative system produces in order to beautify the reality of its’ oppressive nature; to delude & gaslight the workers into thinking the labor they perform is everything to their personality, forming their personal identities around the type of labor they perform/the career they choose. capitalism uses the kind of spirituality that serves strictly to beautify the conditions of workers, connect them to the type of labor they perform & make them identify with it on an interpersonal level– as well as to beautify the harsh, overbearing, and exploitative relations it produces. capitalism would crumble & decline way, way faster if it didn’t produce such spirituality– the beautification certainly, without doubt, serves to dissociate the workers from raising class consciousness, and it does a brilliant job at this– it makes the workers feel with their careers on a very intimate scale, almost basing their entire self-worth on it (which increases fear of failure), and it beautifies the institutions that oppress the workers. if the workers collectively realized how this system only exploits both them & the environment, how it crumbles & declines every seven years; creating environnemental chaos– if they realized that only a small number of manufactured material is actually able to be obtained, and how this creates mass-production & pollution– the system would ultimately crumble, as the workers would be at its feet, working collectively to destroy it. if the beautification of capitalism didn’t exist, capitalism wouldn’t ensure its’ survival– the workers would gain class consciousness, and realize that the system only gives them enough resources to keep the proletariat alive as a class.

in other words, the system abuses the workers, and when the handlebars of it provide the bare minimum as a way to ensure the survival of the working-class; the workers believe it is honey & milk. they think the ruling class is giving them heavenly treatment, and this is gaslighting. spirituality is the theory, and gaslighting is the praxis. the ruling class & their system of capitalism are abusers, and the beatification, a.k.a spiritualization of their system– is there to keep their victims in a constant state of overworking, hoping for a “reward”– and this makes them form identities around their exploitation, feel afraid of disappointing & abandoning this identity, and makes them feel like the institution they’re working at & the bosses they are serving are their home. spirituality is the “aftercare” of exploitative abuse connected to labor, and spiritual links are necessary to prevent the proletarians from revolting, and keeping them all as subservient, obedient workers.

[imagineastrology]

✨ Stellium series ✨ 4th House! What is your concept of 'home'?

*Disclaimer* do NOT steal or plagiarise my work. I regularly check through various Astrology tags on social media, so I will recognise when my work is stolen and message and report your account if I see it.

*Reminder* please take into account your planets, signs, houses & aspects, natally or transits. Take what resonates with you :)

In astrology, a stellium is a cluster of 3 or more planets in a house or a specific zodiac sign. There is obsessive, potent and more focused energy in that specific area of life that the astrological sign or house represents. Eg. 7th House = partnerships. 3rd House = communication. For now, I will be focusing on the house energy.

You are dealing with the extremes of that specific sign/house energy. With this series, I will help you in how you can use your stellium energy to your advantage - and how you can create more stability with this powerful energy!

4th House stellium:

Common themes that are reoccurring…

🍄Fascination with your home-life and childhood. Negative or positive, it depends on what planets are in the 4th house. 

🍄Is a homebody and spends time designing/thinking about their immediate environment. 

🍄 Natural inclination for helping and advising people. 

🍄Has issues with trusting people.

🍄Spends much time thinking of how bad or good a parent was. 

🍄Motivated to make their home life as comfortable as possible. If negatively affected, there could be a struggle with this. 

🍄Can wear many masks. 

🍄Privacy is their fulfilment. 

🍄 May have trouble connecting with either one parent, or both. 

🍄Ultra sensitive, they may compensate for this by appearing tough, or distant. 

🍄 Listen to your heart or be aware of your breasts, there may be issues there as the 4th house rules the heart and titties. 

🍄Feels things intensely.

🍄 Much time and emotions are spent on analysing their early life. 

🍄 Listens to their intuition. 

🍄 Consider a career in property or real estate and then come back to me and give me all your well-earned money from these lucrative 4th house career choices ;) 

🍄 What is your concept of ‘home’?

🔮 I have recently read an article, written by Dr. Margaret Paul, and she wrote that ‘you should write down what you wanted emotionally from your parents when you were younger. For example, this could be wishing they would have hugged me more or accepting me for being different to them’. Then, afterwards, writing down what your inner child needs so,

E.g. What you wanted (accepting you for being different to your parents) changes into ‘I define my own worth, seeing my essence based on the truth coming through from my spiritual guidance. I value my differences’. In this way you are not abandoning your feelings and getting deep into the root cause of why you struggle to truly love and listen to yourself.

🔮 

✨So what more can we do to improve this? In order to balance out this 4th house energy, astrology guides us to focus on the opposite house themes, which, in this case, is the 10th house. However, this doesn’t mean you ignore the 4th house themes, it’s just about knowing and applying both 10th and 4th house energy in order to have moderation in life and feel more balanced. You can then use your stellium energy to your advantage as you feel more energised and less drained from your stellium.✨

Begin to focus on 11th House themes such as…

✨ Be around your friends. They will bring a sense of normalcy. Or go out and meet new people that are on your level. 

✨ Think about what your individual hopes are, not what your family says you should do. What do you really enjoy doing? 

✨ Finding a cause to help will bring you out of the emotional pit that is the 4th house! You will start to focus on helping other people. 

✨ Reminder: There are other people out there who think, feel and do what you do, don’t stop until you find your tribe. 

✨  Start a business that makes you feel alive, the 11th house rules prosperity.

✨  Start or work with a charity. 

✨  A little detachment can be healthy, learn to realise that the world does not revolve around how you feel. Sometimes it can be nice to jump out of your brain and focus your energy on helping other people. It will help you gain perspective. 

THANK YOU for reading! Again, any thoughts/questions let me know! :) x

[astroheauxxxxx]

Money and career astrology (ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS PT.3)

planets/placements included in this post:

[venus/taurus♉️, 2nd house/2nd house ruler]

lets start in order of houses. the 2nd house.

the 2nd house is naturally ruled by taurus♉️ which is ruled by venus. this is the aspect of venus embodies earned resources, self-accrued assets, how you add value to yourself, what you consider luxury etc.

planets/signs in the 2nd house let you know what characteristics or areas of your life can help you add value to yourself physically or through resources.

sun/leo ♌️/5,17,29- accruing value through your personality, your ego, your natural motivation for life

moon/cancer♋️/4,16,28- accruing value through your intuition, your sensitivity and nurturing of others

mercury/gemini♊️/virgo♍️/3,15,27 gemini 6,18 virgo- accruing value through how you think, how you communicate, and absorb information and teach others

venus/taurus♉️/libra/7,19 libra, 2,14,26 taurus- accruing value by loving yourself and others, having an abundant mindset, investing long term

mars/aries/scorpio/8,20 scorpio,0,1,13,25 aries- accruing value through your passion, asserting your attitude, masculine energy, sports also, being competitive

jupiter/sagittarius/pisces/9,21 sagittarius, 12,24 pisces- accruing value by expanding, traveling, adventuring out or taking risks. expanding knowledge philosophically (I.e college, university, courses, higher learning, teacher/profesor etc.)

saturn/capricorn/aquarius/11,23 aquarius, 10, 22 capricorn- accruing value by disciplining yourself, managing your responsibilities, working hard over a longer period of time.

pluto/scorpio/8, 20 scorpio- accruing value by tapping into the unknown/occult, using your subconscious, transforming yourself and others. also through death

neptune/pisces 12,24 pisces- accruing value. by tapping into the subconscious, out of reality etc. also by getting into spiritual/religious concepts. movies, meditation , hypnosis, comic books etc.

i have my 2nd house cusp is at 4 degrees of cancer, with my sun in cancer to the 7th degree a libra degree which represents beauty, luxury,couples, marriage, art, music, associates, justice etc.

i am a psychic and child of african moon goddess yemaya and love goddess oshun her sister/daughter (depends on who you ask, where you're from). yemaya represents the moon in astrology because she is the mother of every creature on earth, land and sea. she represents your relationship with motherhood and femininity. in christianity she is known as the virgin mary and black madonna. she is associated with all water signs but especially cancer due to the connection with the ocean which is where she is found. she also represents ancestry and roots, especially matrilineal ancestry.

oshun is venus in astrology and is considered the most beautiful goddess there is. she represents everything venus does (i also have venus in my 1st so my 2nd house ruler is in my 1st house of self/rising). yemaya is the virgin mary and the womb and breats, oshun is the immaculate conception and the entrance to the vagina as well as the wetness secreted.

so i have oshun and yemaya in my second house literally in my sun. i was born under them. not to mention i am a highly sensual and sexual person and i value this about myself. combo of the moon and venus.

my roots are in saint lucia🇱🇨 in the caribbean which is one of the places she followed her children to when they were enslaved on the coast of africa. for me this manifests as having a strong inclination to earn money in saint lucia where my roots are. im located in new york and i have no desire to make money here at all. i plan to go back home and do airbnb/real estate cuz cancer rules real estate as well. i also plan to incorporate feminine concepts into my immediate society. i really want to prove as a nurturer to my people and the youth in the future in order to create a stronger emotional foundation and relationship with femininity.

they blessed me with the powers the moon and venus and so this where i should earn money from. so astrology, love, feminine healing, sensuality and sexuality, nurturing and intuition. so this how i make sense of it in my life.

[shadelorde]

Gonna go with LOK-themed topics for that reverse unpopular opinion ask game: Korra, Vaatu, Raava, and Wan :)

Korra: I love her cockiness. I know that in itself is a pretty unpopular opinion, but her confidence really stood out to me in a positive way! She’s relatable and strong and emotional and I love her for that. I can’t really find her annoying, because I understand her. I understand her frustration with being used to getting things right the first time and it not working that was with airbending or spirituality, especially because the White Lotus has pretty much defined this as her identity as the Avatar. I also admire her willingness to get messy in order to learn things. She’s also a lot kinder than i think the fanbase gives her credit for! Despite what the show seemed to want us to believe, she was always caring and compassionate.

Vaatu: Ah, Vaatu. Without him I would, and I don’t believe I’m exaggerating at all, quite literally not be the writer I am today. When I first watched the show (I started with Beginnings, ironically enough) I was very excited at the concept of a good morally-aligned chaos spirit. While he didn’t turn out that way, I still adore him. He’s dramatic and beautiful and full of energy and flair, even with his limited screen time. He’s been a long-time favorite character for me and I don’t foresee that going away any time soon. So much of the fanbase ignores or hates him and while I can understand why…I think he deserves more love. But for now, I appreciate the company of what fans I can discover.

Raava: Raava!! I love Raava. While not as much of a longtime favorite as Vaatu, she still is very close to my heart. What we do see of her personality intrigues and fascinates me. She’s stubborn and hotheaded and dedicated to her job…and there’s this tragic self-sacrifice she feels constantly obligated to…ough I love her, she’s got a hint of nuance beyond her perfect exterior that I love to explore. Also, I think she’s a lesbian. Lesbian Raava my beloved <3.

Wan: What a guy!!! So many people dislike his story but I found it wonderful and a fascinating look into so many unanswered questions. He’s sweet and fun to watch and also FASCINATINGLY reckless. Breath of the Wild Link vibes, he would fight god (Vaatu) naked with a stick and win. I’d love to see more about him too, and his relationship with Raava. I ship them only platonically (refer back a paragraph to my lesbian Raava headcanon) but I think they’re very close. I want to see more of his year traveling with her and the kinds of things they took on after they fused.

[2n2n]

lately, I've been thinking about the Red House's abilities, in its heyday granting wishes...

in conjunction with my theory that the 'Well God' which occupied Sumire & Hakubo's village, which then spoke to Tsukasa, which then combined with him, is the very same God whos power is presently being siphoned and split into the Mysteries (and NOW, being returned to its 'original form', the Well God, Tsukasa).... looking at the Mysteries, they of course are known to all govern some critical 'aspect'. We've only had Tsuchigomori lay out a FEW of these, but we can at least think about them, and... beyond that, we can try to distill what it is what they do, and what would happen if you could combine all of those powers.

No. 1 governs 'time' No. 2 governs 'space' No. 3 governs .... 'memories'? is visuals a part of it? 'seeing'? No. 4 governs ... 'fantasy'? 'Imagination'? 'Ideas'? 'creation'? it can create dreamlike imagery, imagine other worlds, imagine something entirely unseen before, unlike the others. No. 5 governs 'records'. It's hard to differentiate this from No. 3! But maybe when we truly attack No. 3 thoroughly, we'll understand better how their aspects differ. No. 6 governs 'life & death' No. 7 is kinda the most mysterious, but he does bring together the final necessary concept of 'wishes', human desire, 'exchange'. What we see of Tsukasa's power (and he is a part of no. 7 too!) is something like 'seeing into the heart', some sort of ability to reach into sentimentality and desire...

If one were to combine all of these... one could imagine a God that can: see your memories, read your records, parse your desires, manipulate space, time, utilize the creation of imagery, fantasy, to visually offer you possibilities, and have power over time, life, & death in order to procure you what you possibly desire, and the power of exchange to execute on the order.

One can then imagine how returning all of those powers back to the 1 being, would result in a wish truly being granted!

What I can't understand even if I stretch this far, is... how did the yorishiro system come to be? Did the old God have a 'battery' and need of a 'charge' (as Hanako had put it-- who we can't trust so early in the manga-- but well, let's consider anything), or is it only the mysteries who need some special means of tying themselves to the power, given that it isn't theirs by nature? Or ... did even the God need a 'charge' in the form of sacrifices, suchas the girls dropped into its caverns, and the animals exchanged by Tsukasa? The mysteries are blackmailed into remaining loyal to their station by their yorishiro... they have no need of sacrifices, to utilize their respective power.

That's interesting, then, if you don't need death to have power, necessarily, in this world. There is something else you can provide that isn't life. <- this kind of makes me wonder if there really is 'another' source of succor; something like ... sentimentality or passion or love or preciousness, which somehow can create connection to God or a blessing. (Then we have to wonder HOW we figured this out...!).... I'm very interested in a fictional world that isn't quite as grim and literal as something like FMA with toukan koukan. I think something orbiting more around shinto as opposed to alchemy though does lend that idea, that enough worship and adoration can imbue with spirituality. I think there is probably a special quality of Tsukasa that has made him what he is now, not merely... arbitrary circumstance. Something sets him apart from the kannagi, maybe something about his heart or love.

It's really something if you can replace a human girl with a pair of scissors. We focus so much on love in the manga, so ... I'm curious what exactly the power of it can do. I wonder if that at all ties in to... Tsukasa himself, why the Well God didn't merely crunch him into dust like the kannagi, but, maintained a bond with him, combined with him.

The bonus thought: if Nene-chan were to be a 'number 8' so to speak, I wonder what she would encompass? She has a kind of 'blessing' ability, a purification....? hmm...

...I would like to softly think of what she is doing with Hanako and Tsukasa as a kind of purification... with her nature, finding the heart of them, able to connect to and draw out the soul inside.

ah, we'll have to wait and see what comes to be.....

[emptymanuscript]

One of the essays sitting and percolating in my brain is about how much (and more importantly WHY) I loathe the idea of Hard vs. Soft magic systems and how terribly these concepts are for thinking about magicbuilding.

While also in no way objecting to Sanderson's 3 Laws of Magic which I actually love because they are so clever and usable. I'm all for them.

It's a dialectic. Sue me. I just don't think that the 3 laws actually necessitate the hardness scale of magic. At all. And in some ways the two ideas actively work against each other.

I just know it is a HUGE essay, involving a lot of work and data gathering. And I feel like I can't be bothered to expend that much effort within even the medium term. So... it just kind of sits there and occasionally I'll run into something that reminds me: oh, yeah, I kinda wanna do that. Like, this is pretty good but it would be ten times as brilliant if you weren't hampered by the idea of a hardness scale of magic.

I ran into somebody today trying to talk about a pyramid of magic users that was partly dependent on this idea of a chart of Magic Hardness on the Y axis and Diversity of Magical Expression on the X axis. For four fundamental quadrants of Hard Diverse, Hard Same, Soft Diverse, and Soft Same. The last of which he couldn't think of any examples of and I'm just sitting here thinking: yeah, because one of your axes is wrong and its getting in the way of you saying something brilliant.

Think instead of several diversities: Sources of Magic, Types of Magic, Expressions of Magic, and User Variability as a 4D model. Each converging at 0, no magic. Each going to ∞, meaning each kind is entirely individual to the caster and is measured by the number of casters instead of the number of magics. And useful numbers for fiction falling somewhere in the relatively low range of numbers.

So, for the favorite Hard Magic (grumble) example, AtlA, you would have 1 source of magic: Chi. 5 types of magic: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Spirit. Then 2 basic expressions of magic: Elemental Control and Spiritual Control. And finally a relatively low (numbers aren't very useful but expectations are) amount of user variability in that expression. This can be shown to the audience with any level of clarity, without altering the system itself.

For the favorite Soft Magic (still grumbling) example, LotR, you would have an unknown number of sources of magic because it is never really delved into. However, it is possible to count what actually appears, and that is a low number, with some possible overlap: There's magic in the race you belong to, there's magic in the divine plan, there's magic in words and speech, there's magic in things sublimely crafted, there's magic in your intent, there's magic in birthright (not your race but your family lineage), there's magic in herb-lore and nature, there's magic in corruption, and there's magic in knowing/wisdom. It is possible to divide all those into separate categories or to unify all those into the singular Divine Will with many offshoots. The types of magic, again, are not enumerated and delved into but can be counted. There seems to be mostly the use of (un)natural phenomenon, communication/command/seduction, knowing/wisdom/fortune telling/working with fate, crafting things to do magic for you, necromancy/corruption, and oaths. Again there is overlap or not depending on opinion since the story doesn't delve into it. And user variability is fairly high in that it isn't particularly useful to know what one magic user can do in order to predict what another magic user can do. And this is really what makes it a "soft system" that whatever rules underlie the system are not only not communicated to the reader directly but aren't communicated in such a way that the underlying system is deducible. It is entirely possible to make a "Hard Magic System" (just ugh) that would produce exactly what we see in LotR. What makes it soft is the information we get, not the system itself.

And that really is my basic issue with Hard/Soft Magic as an idea. It conflates multiple different bits of information into a single bit that isn't dictated by any one of the original bits.

The Idea of Hard vs. Soft Magic relies on the idea that the perception of the Magic System is the same in the Imagination of the Author, their Expectations of the Audience and that Audience's Reception, their intentions, the Encoded piece of Art - the text itself, the Consensus Audience's Interpretations, the Individual Audience's Interpretations, AND the cultural interpretation of story as applied to this whole mess.

While literally none of that has to be true.

It is (accidentally?) doing the precision opposite of what the Artist Philosophy does at its worst. It is elevating the audience experience of Story over every other factor. It is essentially saying that every other position on the map must accept "my" interpretation and play to it. It's flipping the script - ex: men are good so women are bad but now we've had our glorious revolution so now women are good so men are bad - instead of actually addressing the problem inherent in the script - one gender is portrayed as superior to another.

BUT that's like two examples out of... hundreds? Thousands? Per year! >_<

Two texts aren't a sufficient corpus of material to talk about these sorts of things. Neither is one figure to illustrate the issue out of one textbook. And I just DON'T want to deal with that level of work. Especially since no one will really particularly care. And the minority that would be interested are generally pretty happy with the Hard / Soft divide because they're the readers whose views are being reflected. So...

:/

No point.

And this is why I shouldn't write essays anyway. I just wrote an essay about NOT writing an essay >_< I have issues >_< it's just... so much thought on how to do things on the back end (writing and worldbuilding advice) which is growing excellently right now would be so much better without that Hard-Soft conceit which is just... *sigh* an entire essay on why it is an issue. With half probably devoted to soothing egos and rough reactions of 'but it works for me.' Which is the point. The entire point.

And ugh.

And I'm probably only putting work into this in this way here so I won't feel the need to lash out at my sister quite so intensely. Again >_< I have issues.

And thanks for reading / sorry for writing. You know. Me and essays :/

[leotheponderer]

So...I've been tagged by @agirlandherquill who was tagged by @katwritesshit to participate in a tag game from @halfbakedspuds, so here goes!

Rules: Answer as many (or as few) of the questions about your WIP as you can.

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

The Prologue, featuring Kato(Death, Psychopomp, Thanatos), Halcyon(Sleep, Hypnos) and Basile(World, Hades, Persephone) dubbed The Old World Trio because they're the only beings from the Old World who still exist in the New World. The first location I visualised was the Border, which is where souls go before being taken to the Underworld.

The Border.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?

[The Main Character by Will Wood] I love this song and it fits Kato's personality very well, especially during the Prologue. I can imagine Kato, Halcyon and Basile singing this together with Kato playing the Piano.

Abstract Kato playing the piano.

3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?

My favourite has to be Kato, since they're the first character I ever created so I have lots of fond memories of going about developing their character. Halcyon came later as Kato's twin, and I grew to love their dynamic as siblings who then formed a found family with Basile. Halcyon would call Kato out on their bullshit and keep them in check while Basile is the reliable rock of the group.

Abstract Kato on the top and Abstract Halcyon on the bottom.

4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?

Some Rise of the TMNT fans may notice some similarities between Leo and Donnie's dynamic (the disaster twins) and Kato with Halcyon. I did base some of their personalities on the duo, Kato being Leo and Halcyon being Donnie, so that's not a surprise. There's also a found family dynamic (and FANTASY :D), so I think fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Ninjago could like the Prologue too!

5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?

Coming up with names! I really struggled with naming everyone, especially Kato because I wanted the best for them and also because Thanatos and Death in general is hard to work with. I still do not have a name for my story, though I'm working on it. Plot and writing is also hard, so is visualising. (In summary, everything.)

My earliest digital drawing. Abstract Kato increasing their collection.

6. Are there any animals in your story?

Plenty! I have not touched the main world yet, but I do know the New World is teeming with life. The Underworld and the Border on the other hand, have its very own bioluminescent inhabitants like the Glow Fishes, the massive Blue Dragon and the Soul Butterflies. Now that I think about it, the Underworld really resembles the spirit world from Avatar.

Some animal concepts.

7. How do your characters get around?

Probably on foot, though I have though about using their powers, like shadow travel from Nico di Angelo. Some of them have physical wings like Volaria and Felix (bird people), while others like Kato and Halcyon in the Prologue have more spiritual ones. Maybe they have animal companions, summons or just teleport through plantlife (Basile).

Abstract Felix flying in a marathon.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

I'm mostly working on the Prologue, with small bits of the First Interlude and the Main Story. I haven't started on the Epilogue yet, only the things I want to see happen like Halcyon and Basile going on a journey together.

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Realistically speaking, art tends to get the most attention on Tumblr. In order to do that I'll need to work harder on drawing to show my story through visuals, and not just words. I'll have to doodle my way into people's hearts!

A place in the Old World.

Whew, that was a long one. I don't really know many people who have WIP stories since I'm pretty new to Tumblr, so I hope they don't mind me tagging them: @hansenesque @drawnecromancy @the-arcade-doctor @devgel7889

Anyone who wants to play this game can join in on the fun too!

Note: There are nine questions in total, listed here.

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?

3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?

4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?

5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?

6. Are there any animals in your story?

7. How do your characters get around?

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Saw your book post and I think you've confused a few things...

You seem to mix up Hoodoo and Vodou a lot. They are not the same. Hoodoo is not a closed practice nor religion. It's just fking weird and poser-ish if someone claims it without ever growing up in the culture for it. But many Hoodoo practioners will tell you their practice is not closed. Vodou/Santeria is closed.

Also saying to be careful not to fall into Hoodoo while doing Conjure... you know rootwork is similar across all cultures right? This just feels like a gatekeeping statement and prevents people from really digging into their folkwork by making them constantly worried they're appropriating.

The thing with smudging: you make no mention of which kind of smudging is closed. You just said it generally, which is a bit ridiculous. Burning herbs for the sake of energy and cleansing is not inherently a Native Indigenous practice. Bayabas, or guava leaves, have been used in the Philippines pre-colonialism. Frankenincense in Europe and Old Christianity. Ti Leaves in Hawaii. Rose in Ancient Rome, and Blue Lotus in Ancient Egypt. As a latina, and as half of one myself🇨🇺, we both know our people love to use incense at altars. SAGE, particularly white sage, is where the line is drawn. Same with palo santo. I agree with your points, but I think you need to be specific if you're being critical.

Much love from 🇵🇭✨️

Hello there anon! I see you sent another ask apologizing for assuming I was Latina, and you're quite forgiven! I am as they say white as white can be.

As a white person I went to an American BIPOC friend of mine in order to answer all of this as honestly as I possibly could. Hoodoo by means of origin IS a closed practice. It's roots come from Ghana and was created in America as a very specific response to slavery. Both Hoodoo and Vodu are tribal/family based, and both require a initiation of sorts through community in order to practice them. Vodu's roots are in Haiti, and through community, enslavement, and initiation needed through the "family" as some groups of Vodu practioners call themselves, are required therefore it is also closed. I shall include some links below to help with the distinction of Hoodoo and Vodu and why they are both closed practices/religions. Hoodoo could be considered a religion in Louisiana specifically due to it's usage there and sometimes it's blending with Vodu. https://medium.com/@empressnaima/my-hoodoo-initiation-5086e375e378 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(spirituality) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/magic-matters/2021/11/10 https://brizomagazine.com/2020/06/15/the-appropriation-of-magic-how-white-people-demonised-voodoo/ Now that I've cleared up through BIPOC voices/history/links on why Hoodoo is in fact closed...let me address the specific comment of

"You know rootwork is similar across all cultures right? This just feels like a gatekeeping statement and prevents people from really digging into their folkwork by making them constantly worried they're appropriating." Rootwork in of itself is a Hoodoo term iirc, but I may be wrong on that front. As for worrying about appropriation...white people SHOULD BE worried about appropriating. Hell currently in America we still through simply social climate and judicial systems are failing our BIPOC/Indigenous communities.

As a folk worker who has some herbalism that stems from Cherokee and Creek peoples I am so beyond careful to make sure my practice is not appropriating from them. White people demolished them, slaughtered them, and took away their homes and sacred spaces, hell, we stole and demolished their LANGUAGE. And you're telling me I don't need to worry about taking anything else from them? The best option is to contact the people you believe is being appropriated from and just...asking them. Wild concept I know. Make friends that are not from your station! Send emails and letters to community leaders in these appropriated cultures in an honest and respectful way to see if what you're studying is appropriated. A good example of this was I found recently an ancestor of mine worked closely with what she called "Grandmama Spider". Grandmother Spider is a Cherokee creation deity. Referencing the above horrors and terrors us white folk did and are still doing to the Cherokee people...I will not be following in her footsteps. Individuals like Cat/Catherin Yronwode has perpetrated that Hoodoo is open, and has caused catastrophic issues with her large standing in the American Folk Magic world. A link to an open letter about Cat Yronwode and her severe appropriation/dismissal of the real history of New Orleans Voodoo being "fake" and "not a slave based religion" is here: https://conjureart.blogspot.com/2013/10/open-letter-to-cat-yronwode-and-lucky.html I don't want to pick on any specific religions/groups of people but all you have to do is read through ONE "witchcraft for beginners" book written in America or England and find at least two stolen items from Indigenous Americans AND the BIPOC/Black community. It's THAT common. Totems and Spirit Animals? Not entirely Indigenous but the ones these authors are teaching about ARE. The same goes for the word smudging, when I mention a book has smudging in it I am talking about white sage. White Americans love to use their white sage with an illegal owl feather and a shell to hold their bundle of sage in. The word smudging in of itself comes from the 15th to 16th century Germanic language and was actually talking about using smoke to rid a home or building of insect infestations. The word we SHOULD be using for cleansing with smoke should simply be...smoke cleansing. It avoids the person reading from having to guess if it's appropriated or not.

Having said all of that I guess all of this boils down to one thing: Listen to the voices of the cultures first. If they say something's appropriated? Stop. If they say it's closed? Stop. I have no authority on anything at all, but if I can speak up just once and give others a platform to say, "Hey this is kinda fucked up" I will. It's the least I as a white person can do.

[ivaspinoza]

What does “metamorphosis” mean to you?

Short answer is rebirth. To be born again.

But I also have a long answer because I really liked this ask:

If I say "tree", we both know what "tree" means, but we see different trees in our minds, right? I love the idea that language is the common ground of understanding. That's why it has rules: it's a convention. Otherwise, we won't understand each other. You say dog, I think tree and answer: soup!, and you bring me a flower. Imagine.

That makes me think of Saussure, who defined a sign as being composed of a signifier (significant) — the form which the sign takes; and the signified (signifi ) — the concept it represents.

But anyway, this was a very long time ago, and it's a crazy subject to do in-depth, I just want to use this idea of two layers: physical (material, visible) x abstract (spiritual, invisible).

So my brief interest in etymology and Latin will tell me the word metamorphosis is composed by the very cool word meta (change) + morpho (form).

To be transfigured? To be changed? But at what levels?

Rebirth fits. It sounds very poetic. It's the old "the caterpillar has to die in order to become a butterfly". But honestly, I think we take this meaning too lightly. In the sense that we might want to change a sign, but we change only its form, and forget its concept — which might be immutable as well. In order for the metamorphosis to happen, I guess both must be changed. It's an all-in game.

If you smash a caterpillar, it will never become a butterfly. If you take a butterfly's wings, it will still be a butterfly. And if we verify the reality that brings the words to life,

"Once a caterpillar has disintegrated all of its tissues except for the imaginal discs, those discs use the protein-rich soup all around them to fuel the rapid cell division required to form the wings, antennae, legs, eyes, genitals and all the other features of an adult butterfly or moth. The imaginal disc for a fruit fly's wing, for example, might begin with only 50 cells and increase to more than 50,000 cells by the end of metamorphosis. Depending on the species, certain caterpillar muscles and sections of the nervous system are largely preserved in the adult butterfly. One study even suggests that moths remember what they learned in later stages of their lives as caterpillars." (Ferris Jabr)

Interesting to point that "imaginal discs" or "sections of the nervous system" will be preserved. In the sense that you can't have something coming out of nothing, ever! A fish can not go through a caterpillar's metamorphosis. So even to disintegrate and be fully transformed, we also need a solid basis.

Sometimes we want to be changed, but we don't want to digest ourselves like the brave caterpillar. We want beautiful wings, but we don't want to die for ourselves. Refusing nature's design that is intrinsic to our core, maybe we will die as silkworms, when we could have been brilliant butterflies.

[cosmichighpriestess]

Be what you know you are Let Go and BE.

I think people can become very surprised and lost even devastated when their old world comes crashing down on itself because they were not following their highest excitement and everything based off false foundations came crumbling down on itself because nothing based on love and truth was holding it in place.

They attempt to go back to their old life, old ways, their old career and look for a new job in the same field that were not truly inspired by to begin with. Did you really think you had to kill yourself to live a successful life? God said, Rest and put all your burdens at my feet and know that until you feel inspired, that is the only time to do something. Your heart is always knocking at your door. It will only continue to get louder and louder until you finally answer the door.

You will be molded and created brand new and morph into your higher self when you rest and follow your highest excitement every moment, that is your job, to be yourself, rest when you are burdened and follow your high excitement when you're not resting and taking care of your immediate responsibilities like pets or children. Do the things you don't enjoy and see them neutrally, in a nonjudgmental way with unconditional love, see them through the perspective of God and you will no longer be in your non preferred reality. You will no longer be that other version--you stepped out of it. Then say from that higher perspective, " what is the lesson that you wish to learn, what are you attempting to teach yourself through these actions?" Then you will actually be able to see it the way Source sees it.

You are allowed to ask for help and be a little selfish especially now in the year 2024. When you have to quit your job or you're let go, or a relationship fails, or meditation, praying and old spiritual practices quote on quote "fail", realize this is not failure but rather indicates a graduation to a new state of consciousness, you no longer are in alignment with what previously worked so well. It's indicative of where you are consciously when you think you have to work hard or struggle for something you already carry within you to create. Your soul is already rich and abundant you just need to recognize the abundance already around you and the Universe will spoil you with riches. You always have been worthy without having to suffer for it.

This is the nature of the structure of existence. Remember when something feels bad, when we're experiencing sickness, disease, sadness, pain, suffering, lack, negativity, loneliness, grief, "death" ect. Remember, It's not the truth. Nothing is real except love, peace, abundance, harmony, joy, bliss ect. All Negativity is an illusion based from a third dimensional perspective level of consciousness.

There is NO divine law supporting these things, these are not God ordained concepts, these are human constructs because they are all an illusion in this simulation because God consciousness does not have ideas of lack and limitation. God is not judging you as "an old man with a beard sitting up there in the clouds", God alone IS, You are the wholeness of God, God is not made from man. you are judging yourself, your higher self is the only one judging your physical self. God is not a man sitting in the clouds telling you that you were "bad" or "good". You have free will and everything in this Universe is neutral to begin with and meaningless. Nothing has meaning until you assign it a meaning as either positive or negative. When you accept both experiences as beneficial for you to learn from you become more grateful for each experience and graduate to another level.

We must let go of the obsolete religious and metaphysical teachings telling you to pray this way or that, do this to be spiritual etc. in order to obtain what you believe you or others need. Everything is already spiritual just by existing. Because everything is Source. You cannot pray for peace in the world, and see change outside of you, you must recognize and realize the peace within you and you will shift to a more peaceful world on a parallel reality version of Earth. You only experience the reality you believe you know as truth that you prefer. You must believe nothing bad is happening on your planet. Truth must become in your state of consciousness before it can manifest outwardly.

There are still many old energies that are intense and extremely painful that are being cleared now by being recreated in your simulation such as a lifetime of abuse because you are more spiritually empowered and emotionally prepared now and you are able to re-experience the energy in some form, recognize it for what it represents, and fully release it from your consciousness which never dies, just keeps ascending into the higher dimensions.

If someone or some organization is controlling you or abusing you, there is no Divine Law supporting that behavior, that does not come from God and you have every right to stop giving that person your energy and power over you and leave somewhere you won't be manipulated and controlled anymore. Your true underlying energy is always happy, always has been pure love, always in bliss. Any negativity you experience is not who you are and never has been.

You are apart of Source pretending to be human on this rollercoaster called life on Earth and you are here to enjoy meeting different versions of yourself in everything you meet, you are here to be love and enjoy this rollercoaster because you have no agenda. You are here to enjoy the ride and take in all the experiences in your kingdom you created.

[myheartismadeofstars]

My friend and I were discussing TGCF's elemental masters (and how odd the existing ones are. Why water, rain and thunder? Wind and earth are fine) So I created two of them: the Fire Master, and the Metal Master (I have a basic concept for a Wood Master too, but she needs more development)

Fire Master is a chef. He can be a bit hot-headed and has absolutely thrown some people out of his Palace for intruding while he's cooking (yes the gods don't need to eat, but they do eat at banquets and some eat more regularly. While many have in-house servants for this, they can also eat Fire Master's food! Any non-deputy servants typically learn cooking skills in his Palace). He considers anyone who likes good food, drink and has a good appetite to be his friend. He is often kept abreast of any events involving food and he will happily tell all during dinner. He used to be a common dinner companion for SQX and "MY" as he was an excellent source of information (and food) he always liked "MY" and would often send food to his Palace but due to how reclusive "MY" is, it's very hard to call them friends. One thing HX approved of was him outright talking about how he didn't like SWD and saw him as a "big problem". That said, I could see HX missing him after he gets his revenge (I'm choosing to believe that, given some time to understand wtf happened, they could become actually friends. Yes, he would deliver to Nether Water Manor eventually)

Oh, also he has a history with XL. People would pray to him pretty much wherever XL cooked so he'd pretty regularly go "subdue a cooking demon" and he had no idea who he was. If HC had only paid attention to HX when he told him "Fire Master went to battle the cooking demon again" he'd have found XL centuries ago. (He just joked that HX really liked FM) (since HC would hate him if he knew he regularly fought XL and referred to him as a demon, I think it's important to know that his temples are fireproof lmao)

I don't know what kind of spiritual item he has, I think bellows or maybe a fan (I know we already have two, though I originally imagined it as a round fan, similar to the Japanese Uchiwa fan as it has been used to fan flames and with cooking, but I couldn't find any evidence that the Chinese used them similarly? Also round fans are seen as feminine)

Metal Master

Metal Master is more simple. He's a smith, who mostly makes spiritual weapons. He doesn't understand spiritual items with no metal in them lmao, Ruoye especially confused him ("but it's just a cloth...? Where's the metal?"). He mostly keeps to himself in his forge making whatever he wants (several of his strange swords were added to JW's collection. He reclaimed them after JW's fall. There are probably tons in HC's collection too) but he's worshipped by many artisans. However he doesn't like competition and most of his deputy officials are NOT smiths! They are different types of artisans who go and deal with prayers related to their respective specialties. He has a handful of former deputies who have ascended on their own right because of this. He loves a challenge.

Despite his reputation in the heavens, MM is a bit interested in HC. More accurately, he's interested in E'Ming! His dream would be to get a hold of it just so he could try to figure out how it was forged.

While MM avoided XL in order to prevent getting infected with bad luck, he's actually pretty fond of him once they meet. And he crafts delicate silver butterfly pins for him and HC once they get married (he's a himbo but he's not a fool. He knows HC is unlikely to pick a fight with him if he's nice to XL and supports their marriage)

MM is also a very strong god despite not being a martial god. Several martial gods try to "poach" him but he refuses. He just wants to smith! Leave him alone!!