#Institute for Scripture Research

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

You Must Be Born Again

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You have to be born from above.’ — John 3:7 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: John 3:6; John 3:8

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What does it mean to be a born again Christian?

[thatdeadaquarius]

About your language brainrot. I see your "Reader's writing can't match tyvat's long and flowery writing" and bring you "Tyvat isn't used to books over 50 pages long so a short story to the Reader is a whole dictionary to tyvat readers".

Seriously, have you seen how thin the books are? They don't wrote novels, they write short chapters formatted in the way really old stories are. As in, summarizing all the events down into one smooth story then adding a few quotes. Fanfiction writers are insane. They will willingly sit down and write hundreds of words at a time. To them, a proper modern day story of maybe, oh 10k words or so, would probably be like the Oddessy itself.

If we were to combine the two headcanons. It would end up as many historians being intimidated by this insanely long written scripture in the language of the forgotten.

I'm going to take this a step further and say that if the creator asked some people to proofread their things, it would establish a hiarchy of who is able to actually finish the book the creator read and who isn't.

NOW THIS, THIS IS MY FUCKING JAMMMM

I'm so sorry this is so old!! u probably all know this by this point that I've really slowed down as the year has gone on, but I graduated university and then got my first job so its been pretty crazy!

Sun: Reader (you/they/them)

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: dash of all the book/nerds of Genshin, heavy on Sumeru?

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: Cussing, 16+ Mature Audiences, Spoliers for Sumeru Archon Quests/Scaramouche, & Trigger Warnings: mention of shipping/characters shipping themselves with you.

Comment if any missed, please.

☆

FULL STOP.

THE AKADEMIYA, FONTAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HAVE BEEN WAITTTINNGGGG ON YOUR ASS LMAO

You fall from the fucking sky like a 5 star, or pop out of the Irminsul or whatever

and immediately are mobbed by scholars. LMAO jkjk (not really, bc that's what it’d feel like)

can you even imagine the dread older stories(”the classics” to them), that was instilled in the poor students around Teyvat??

id like to think ur works are the most preserved over the thousands of years of Teyvat archeologists excavating them, in comparison to other authors (teyvat just likes you more, suck it William Shakespeare)

also, bc I cant resist language differences/world building I'm sorryyyy 😭 😭

the vocab of Genshin lang vs. ours, has significantly less vocabulary like their actual dictionary is 1/3 the size of ours type of energy

(Omfg all ur fanfics being considered like insanely long realistic romantic classics or tragedies like Jane Austen-level, and only the richest and biggest play companies put on plays about ur stories bc the script goes on for hours)

(ur plays only get put on for rlly big events bc of this, like Lantern Rite or like a Summer/Winter festival/your birthday, which is, yes, an international holiday)

dude the sheer power move of anything you’ve written being essentially “Journey of the West” to them, like Damnnn.

endless like adaptations, plays, Teyvat-short stories condensing it, (THEIR OWN FANFICTION ABOUT UR STORIES)

the power is, in fact, going to your head every time another scholar both deflates at how long ur stuff is, but also lights up bc they get to read it

speaking of scholars… you know who snatched you up first. you know. you don’t even need to read the next line.

Alhaitham.

sneaky bastard he is, absolutely manipulated, mansplained (and manwhored bc he knows he’s handsome, cheeky little shit) his way into getting you to sit down with him and interview you about both translating other classics, your own, giving your own analysis of others works and ur own, and picking ur brain apart of how/why you wrote urs, etc. its fucking endless,

Kaveh had to come rescue you bc u were starving to death after getting stuck with the Haravatat scholar in his office for nearly 7 hours of interrogation discussion about literature

and Alhaitham wasn't even nearly done, he’d informed you as you left that he already had another appointment for later conversation scheduled (how?? you don't even know ur own schedule??? you have a schedule???) and was looking forward to more of your “creative and enlightening input” :)))

(you’re never going to escape him, not even Nahida herself can save you from his stubborn ass)

On another note, Xingqiu is quaking when you agree to autograph his copy of your stories (of which he has all hard covers of the first edition translations)

Zhongli/Rex Lapis is known for having a near-lifelong passion for searching for your works specifically, and learning how to translate them better into Teyvatian vernacular

like the same way he can absolutely speak on Rex Lapis facts/rocks/adepti info, is the same confidence he speaks about knowing ur work lol

(yes he did also ask for several autographs and another sit-down talk about the works, tho a lot more sneaky then Alhaitham bc he just casually gets u guys into it during dinner)

Barbatos/Venti has written some of the most famous songs based on your stuff, he has his favorites too,

but he always claims the best songs are any that have been written in the story, like either when a character sings something, or there are like quotes from songs ur fanfics are based on lol

(he also demanded to hear what they actually sound like from you, yes, you have to sing them for him lol)

Venti also can surprisingly drunkenly ramble the entirety of at least one of ur stories, like, word for word lmao

(Diluc gave in and did give him a drink on the house for that one, just once, Venti doesn’t remember it lol)

(I forgot to mention, u guys still speak the same language, just like, different versions of it)

ur works being one of the few things all the Archons can freely talk about with each other, like it’s neutral ground bc they’re all fangirling about it lmao

Furina and Neuvillette have had like,, fierce debates over the decades about character dynamics and the general drama of ur stories, they’ve gotten into it enough they’ve stopped talking to each other for a couple days a few times lol

Albedo, Sucrose, Kokomi, Yae Miko, Ei, Raiden, have read every single work they’re gotten their hands on in Teyvat (it took them like a literal year or longer)

Albedo drew you fanart for every single story, bc he’s hyperfixated on everything related to you ngl,

Kokomi had commissioned smaller pocket versions of ur works (which later got popular thanks to Yae Miko) both the OG and the Teyvat shortened versions

THE HARBINGERS ARE THE MOST DOWN BAD LMAO

Childe has literally tried to recreate battle scenes from ur works lmao

and gets especially riled up about fighting someone who resembles any characters from them (esp villains, what a cutie)

You cannot fathom the amount of research throughout Teyvat that has been secretly or indirectly funded by Pantalone/Tsaritsa

from the experts to analyze them, to funding play companies to act them out, to actually excavating places to get more of ur stuff unearthed

(the Harbingers absolutely are the first group of people that got to read several of ur stories first bc of this, like the world’s most exclusive secret book club lol)

Scaramouche used to clown on Childe all the time about how he was too impatient to even “sit down and read the King’s classics”, and he was downright insufferable when he found out about Tartaglia’s habit of recreating battle scenes/that being what motivated him to fight sometimes lol

that being said, Wanderer surprisingly never forgot ur stories.

Even when his memories were wiped for a bit, he found comfort in these fantastical epics still sticking around, even when his old names did not

(he mayyyy or mayyy nottt have secretly namedhimselfafteroneofthetragicprotagonistsherelatesto- )

oh btw, Nahida also found joy and comfort in ur stories when she was trapped, they also helped her literally grow as a person bc she had ur stories to help her sort of process the world/what life was like outside of her dreaming prison 🥺💔❤️‍🩹

◇

OMFG

ANYWAY FULL TONE SHIFT LMFAO-

the ABSOLUTE SPIRAL-RED-STRING-CONSPIRACY-THEORY-BOARD ENERGY IF THIS WAS A BLUNT LANGUAGE AU LMAOOOO

like specifically how Teyvatians like to give all the context ever thru their words, but older deities/beings like you just do simple phrases that can have deeper meanings (whereas teyvat just explains all the meanings behind their words)

STOP there’s like an official display at the Akademiya and Fontaine Institute of red string theory boards 😭😭 (look what you’ve done to themmm LMAO)

for like every story of urs, INCLUDING THE FANFICS STOP

IMAGINE THE SHIPPING WARS IF U EVER WROTE ONE THAT WASNT EXPLICIT OR LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ROMANTIC INTERESTS HAD CHEMISTRY WITH OTHER CHARACTERS HAHAHAHAA

that's actually what Akademiya scholars argue about the most viciously, it’s like politics you can’t just bring up ships from ur stories casually in regular convos 💀

(poor Cyno has to deal with a shipping war once a year bc someone always makes the mistake of reading ur work for the first time (without being told to not talk to others abt ships lol) and it starts an all out brawl in the cafeteria every time LMAO)

Also yes.

Cyno is a fanboy.

(he has read Creator x Reader-insert fanfiction.)

(As have most of the characters mentioned, and those not lol)

…

(I'm gonna make a whole Creator x reader fanfic post one day i stg lmao)

☆

an iced coffee? for me?? :0

ok but real talk…

wtf do you guys wanna see for new years!!

i didn't do a inktober/october days thingy bc i felt too unprepared (and bc id wanted to post that 1000+ followers eldritch au for Halloween)

but now i kinda wanna, at least for a few days :o

ill post a poll in a minute, so check it out!! but still, please feel free to comment some ideas here! :)

Safe Travels Deafening Dreamer,

💀♒

If you wanna join a taglist, DM me what for! "Pspspsss, please tag me for [All SAGAU posts, Only SAGAU Language AUs, diff fandom, etc.]!"

(If you ever wanna drop, just DM me! "No more taglists/[specifically this AU/fandom] please!")

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche / @chocogi / @fallen-starr / @areaderofbooks / @devilangel657 / @esthelily

[metamorphesque]

To the International Community,

Be on guard. Be vigilant when your own land, your cities, and your institutions are being used by foreign dictators to falsify history, appropriate the culture of others, and lay the groundwork for yet another genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The latest event, titled "western azerbaijan in our memories," was held in Warsaw, Poland on April 8th. During this exhibition, a spokesperson for the so-called “western azerbaijan community,” presented fictional claims about the “forced displacement of western azerbaijanis” in the 20th century and the supposed “destruction of azerbaijani heritage” in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. According to her, “western azerbaijanis,” who were “forcibly removed from their ancestral lands,” are entitled under international law to return.

Archaeological, genetic, and anthropological studies (conducted by non-Armenians), as well as numerous scriptures of historical significance (again, written and preserved by non-Armenians), all prove and confirm that the Armenian people are indigenous to historical Armenia [the Armenian Highland], with roots going back as far as the 13th century BC, emerging without admixtures.

azeris, on the other hand, only emerged as a nation in the 19th and 20th centuries. And yet, despite all facts, logic, and historical evidence, azerbaijan continues to claim that Armenia is actually “western azerbaijan.” [more here]

petrostate azerbaijan has organized similar propaganda events in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, attempting to present Armenian churches, towns, and sacred sites — as "azerbaijani" or "caucasian albanian." [more here]

This is a deliberate, state-sponsored lie — part of a bigger campaign of historical erasure, cultural appropriation, and preparation for future wars and aggression.

And now, they’re exporting that lie to your countries.

azerbaijan is not merely making territorial claims; it is executing a state-sponsored propaganda campaign aimed at legitimizing its false narrative of "western azerbaijan." This campaign is led by a government-backed entity called the "western azerbaijan community", officially launched in 2022 but rooted in older revanchist ideologies.

Let’s ask honestly: why is Europe giving space to this? Why are countries that "champion" human rights and historical truth being used as tools in a disinformation campaign that serves to justify cultural erasure and future war?

Cultural erasure begins with soft words and staged sympathy.

So please, if you’re reading this from Warsaw, Rome, or anywhere else, ask questions, do your own research. Pay attention. Don’t let your silence be the seal of approval. Be vigilant. Be careful. Don’t let your countries, your cities, or your people be put on the wrong side of history.

[chicago-geniza]

the problem is that in a climate of "rampant misinformation" (the term 'misinformation' carries with it a host of implications, political and otherwise, that are baked into its intellectual history and as is often the case, relate to the cold war, so i don't generally like it). BUT. in such a climate you need to be able to independently evaluate information and "truth-claims" for veracity (not the same as legitimacy, which in my understanding is a function of source evaluation, not content evaluation--and as institutions become less reliable, the authority conferred on individuals by institutional credentials/credential-conferring systems in and of themselves come into doubt, as merritt noted MDs post junk science under their professional accounts etc., as others have said papers of record deny genocide or "just ask questions" in plainly spurious ways that undermine their journalistic integrity, etc.)--BUT. you need to be able to independently evaluate information and i CAN'T because i am STUPID in certain, specific ways. i need some types of information to be interpreted for me--e.g., statistics!--or i will come to incorrect conclusions, because i lack both the knowledge and the cognitive capacity (i have particular developmental + learning disabilities re: math and abstract reasoning that impair me here, more than the average non-specialist). this is the gap into which a lot of people who "do their own research" fall, and i am sympathetic, because like--if you can't trust the papal authorities, so to speak, to interpret the texts for you, then surely one's own take on the scriptures must be sufficient for daily life. but it isn't a lot of the time. because you can't be Protestant about public health data, or about the nuts and bolts of the global economy, or the law, or a bunch of other things. idk where i am going with this, briar was thinking along similar lines with genAI the other day too, i am just rambling. OGRE CANNOT EVALUATE INFORMATION. OGRE ONLY PICK UP SURFACE-LEVEL THEMES

[mydogatemymotivation]

Kanan Jarrus and Buddhism

This is a very long post. (oh my god I’m so sorry. It got away from me. I just kept going)

Kanan Jarrus is the best example of Buddhism in Star Wars, if not one of the best examples in modern television. Disclaimer: I have only a surface level understanding of the religions I’m about to get into, so if you know more about these religions or time periods in history, please share the info you have or share sources. Pretty please. I love history. Especially Religious History. Ok, moving on.

One last disclaimer: None of this will be a perfect one-to-one retelling of any religious mythology or ideology. It’s about the overarching themes and lessons.

I don’t know whether the Jedi are strictly Buddhist in teachings. I don’t think they are, I think they pull from a lot of different Eastern religions. However, at the time of the Clone Wars, I think they mirror the institution (for lack of a better word) of orthodox Hinduism at the time of Buddhism’s founding.

To be clear, I’m talking about the public perception of Hinduism as an institution, not necessarily the religion. I don’t have a clear enough understanding of Hinduism to have any kind of meaningful discussion of the religious aspect (if anyone has good sources, please let me know). To put this very, very, very simply, orthodox Hinduism has a concept of Sanatan Dharma the “Eternal Order”. There is the Brahman which both is the universe and created the universe. Brahman established and maintained order. The Vedas, Hindu Scripture, encouraged acceptance of one’s place in life – no matter how difficult or impoverished – while priests lived well from temple donations. The human soul is immortal. And there are the concepts of karma (action) in accordance with dharma (duty) to break free from the cycle of rebirth and death (samsara) and attain union with the oversoul (atman). That’s what I have in my notes, but keep in mind that Hinduism is so deeply complex that this explanation is the equivalent of someone burning instant noodles then trying to judge Cutthroat Kitchen. So. Take what you will, research the rest.

Part of the problem, at the time of Buddhism’s founding, which was around 563 – 483 BCE, Sidhartha Gautama’s estimated lifetime (the specific dates vary greatly, but his estimated lifetime is all around the same time period), was that the Vedas were all written in Sanskrit, which most people didn’t read, and the average person relied on Hindu priests to read the Vedas for them. On top of that, there was the caste system, an incredibly complex system, but put briefly, if you were born into a poorer caste, it was because you belonged there or had done something in a past life to warrant the suffering you were enduring. The fear of death was also looming. With the soul being eternal, death meant rebirth, possibly into another life of suffering, and people wanted a way out.

I’ve made about five different versions of this paragraph, but I keep getting dragged into other points I want to make, so I’ll leave it at this. A self-governing universe, and the eternal soul are the two main parallels to Hinduism. And 10,000 knights is a considerable number – if they spread their impact more individually. They weren’t meant to be a full fighting force, as a unit. Institutionalizing created resentment and division. They shouldn’t have consolidated. They were involved in politics that they shouldn’t have been, and they were living well in their Temple on Coruscant, presumably living off taxpayer dollars. Could the people of Coruscant afford the Jedi? Very probably, but should the people of Coruscant have to pay for a religious order that’s infiltrating their political sphere? No. All this to say, all institutional (not individual) religion is wrong. I’ve seen some posts joking about how the Jedi are Catholic because they punish people who practice differently than they do, but Hinduism has done the same with the caste system. Because people with the power to even the playing field don’t want to give up their advantage – in any religion. But I’m losing my main point.

How does any of this relate to Kanan?

There are Buddhist ideals within the Jedi Order and the Jedi Code, but they are fully realized with Kanan. And to realize these ideals, Kanan had to be removed from the Jedi. If you don’t know the story of Siddhartha Gautama, I’ll recap briefly. Siddhartha was a Hindu prince. His father was told that he would either be a great king or a great spiritual leader. His father didn’t want him to be a spiritual leader, and kept him locked away, essentially, but one night, Siddhartha snuck out. He then saw an aged man, a sick man, a dead man, and an ascetic man (ascetic: characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons). He panicked, realizing that he too could age, get sick, and die. While he was upset, the ascetic man was at peace, and Gautama decided to follow a religious life. So, on another night, he left his palace for good to seek enlightenment. (I don’t know where else to put this, but there’s some sort of symbolism, in relation to Buddhism, about the jedi temple being turned into a palace. I feel like that means something deeper than the obvious jab at the jedi.)

Kanan’s story isn’t a one-to-one retelling of the Buddha’s, but I do feel like he hits all the main points, and that’s what I want to expand on. First, I want to make a case for the four signs.

The aged man: Rex. A relic of a bygone age, and a symbol of the end of the Jedi. Not his fault, but that’s what he represents to Kanan. Seeing him so unexpectedly, and so much older frightened him.

The sick man: Maul. Not necessarily physically sick, but sick, nonetheless. Watching that sickness spread to Ezra and realizing how sly and corrosive it was had to have been sobering. As much as he was trying to coach Ezra through his call to the dark side, he was learning from Ezra, too.

The dead man: Luminara. This one was my brother’s idea, I was originally thinking something more symbolic and was going to say Caleb. But Luminara as a confirmation that there is no going back, that the Jedi are truly dead and gone, makes more sense.

The ascetic man: Dume. Not the Bendu. When I was talking to my (aforementioned) brother about this, he was telling me about someone who’d made a post about how it was bad karma to euthanize a suffering animal. That the animal must’ve done something in a past life to deserve the suffering he was enduring in this life. He was, of course, shot down by everyone else. That even if it was bad karma to put this animal down, letting it continue to suffer was worse. It’s better to take the hit on your own karma for kindness, than cruelty. The Bendu reminds me of the first commenter. Neutrality to the point of indolence.  To the point of pain and suffering. You aren’t supposed to turn your back on the world or the pain of others, you’re supposed to alleviate it. Dume, and his lothwolves, were the ones who were willing to get involved in protecting their home world. Not just for themselves, but for everyone on Lothal. Because they understood that suffering couldn’t continue. You’re a part of the world. You’re not supposed to detach from it.

This leads me to my next point. Attachment. The great question mark of the Jedi Order. I think the reason people struggle so much with the concept of attachment is because many Star Wars fans don’t know much about Buddhism – and this is the place where the Jedi and Buddhists overlap the most. It will be easier to speak about this if we change the language. Don’t think “attachment”, think “craving”.

This is the crux of Buddhism’s “Four Noble Truths”.

Life is suffering.

The cause of suffering is craving.

Ending craving, ends suffering.

There’s a path that leads away from suffering and craving.

Say you go to a dinner party. When it ends, you don’t throw yourself on the floor of your host’s house and demand the party continues. You thank your host for their time and leave. You go in knowing the party will end, and you accept the end gracefully when it comes. If you go into the party craving more time than you’re allotted, being attached to the idea of staying, you’ll suffer when the party ends. But even if you accept the party will end, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself when you’re at dinner. Eat, drink, be merry, just know you will have to go when your time ends.

Let’s take a look at Anakin and Kanan, and their respective love interests. Anakin didn’t understand not to crave Padmé. Even when he thought her time was ending, he craved more. Not for her, but for him. She was a famous senator during wartime. There were already several attempts on her life before they were even together. Did he think it could last forever? He didn’t want to think about the end. He didn’t want to believe it could end. When the end was in sight, despite knowing she was as human as he was, despite knowing she couldn’t live forever, he threw himself on the floor demanding her life continue.

Kanan would never. He was fully aware of the fact that Hera’s life would end one day. Whether it was when she was a storied old woman, or the very next day in a battle gone wrong. In the episode “Protectors of Concord Dawn”, Hera is very nearly killed by Fenn Rau, one of the rare fighter pilots that was able to best her. Had this happened to Anakin and Padmé, Anakin would’ve teetered on the edge of the dark side, going after Rau for revenge, craving more of Padmé’s time or Rau’s death as penance for him nearly losing her. Kanan, however, went to Rau in peace. He was worried about Hera (and slightly distracted, considering Sabine was able to sneak aboard the Phantom) but he was levelheaded, and was able to complete Hera’s mission for her.

Kanan was able to love Hera, without being attached to her. Without craving her. He was happy with her, and when it came to an end, he accepted it, and was able to let go. This was the lesson he finally fully realized when he met Dume on the road. That his time would end, but there was nothing to fear when it did.

In my opinion, Hera fits in two different places in the story of Siddartha. When Siddhartha first left to pursue his life of enlightenment, he tried to live an ascetic life, a life of devotion to religion through suffering. But he didn’t reach enlightenment, only more suffering. This ends eventually, when he can’t find what he’s looking for, and he ends his starvation when a milkmaid, Sujata, offers him food (though there are other versions of how Siddhartha ended his asceticism). After years of study, Siddhartha went back to his palace to get his wife, Yasodhara, and his son, Rahula, both of whom stayed with him until his death. I see Hera as Sujata, the woman who offered him food and a new path, and as Yasodhara, his wife. During his time spreading his teachings, Siddhartha had five believers – disciples in a way – who traveled with him, even back during his asceticism. Kanan, similarly, has five traveling companions while he teaches Ezra his ways.

When Siddhartha died, he died teaching a lesson.

Make my teaching your light – rely upon it

Make yourself a light – rely upon yourself

Control your mind – your mind will make of you buddha or beast

Death is but a vanishing of the body

He passed away, with his wife and child by his side, and was eventually cremated.

After his death, we never really saw him again. We had a brief glimpse of Dume, and a memory of him through Hera’s eyes, but it wasn’t him. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Anakin, Leia, and Luke, all had force ghosts. I know that it was a technique that only a few knew, but I don’t feel it represents the best of the Jedi’s teachings. Speaking of Buddhism, I feel as though learning that technique is making the active choice to forfeit escaping the cycle of reincarnation. They’re Boddhisatva’s, not Buddhas. A bodhisattva is just that: someone who can reach enlightenment but chooses to teach others the path instead. The only true Buddha in Star Wars is Kanan, even shaving his hair in his last episode, as so many Buddhists do.

The Jedi do have many overlapping ideals with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. I think it’s irresponsible to say that they are only one of those or are definitely not one of those. Star Wars is popular all over the world, but there’s no denying that a large chunk of the fanbase is in western countries, and the writers are almost always from western nations. And I say that because many of the people interpreting Star Wars, and almost all the people writing it, have a certain Christo-centric lens. Maybe the Jedi order does pull from Eastern religions but acting like the people writing these characters don’t have bias is wrong. Acting like there is no other religion mixed into the Jedi is just blatantly false.

As I said, I don’t know much about Hinduism, so maybe there is a deity that fits the bill, but if you look at the Sith, they are demonic. Not in a Christian fearmongering way, but in a legitimate, they’re based off demonic characters in mythology (all religion is mythology, it just is, please don’t start). There’s a reason Vader’s palace is on Mustafar, the Star Wars equivalent of hell, there’s a reason Maul has horns. But I’m getting sidetracked again. I’m trying to say that these characters and their motivations are better understood when you take a realistic look at their inspirations. Kanan, and the Jedi’s meaning of “attachment”, is better understood when you study Buddhism. Everyone who watches Star Wars is taking their biases into the world with them.

I need to wrap this up because it’s waaaaaay too long already. But I’m going to leave you with three things. Buddhism’s eightfold path, the Jedi code, and the Sith code.

Right Understanding

-We should learn and try to understand the truth

2. Right Purpose

-We should always try to do whats right

3. Right Speech

-We should be truthful and kind in all we say

4. Right Conduct

-We should try to behave ourselves at all times

5. Right Livelilhood

-We should earn our living in a way which will not harm anyone

6. Right Effort

-We should constantly try to improve ourselves

7. Right Thought

-We should have good and pure thoughts because words and actions arise from thoughts

8. Right Meditation

-We should concentrate our will when we meditate

    There is no emotion, there is peace.

    There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

    There is no passion, there is serenity.

    There is no chaos, there is harmony.

    There is no death, there is the Force.

Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.

Through Passion, I gain Strength.

Through Strength, I gain Power.

Through Power, I gain Victory.

Through Victory my chains are Broken.

The Force shall free me.

I did my best with the religions that I spoke about, and I’m not trying to needlessly criticize any of them. Some people in each religion are good, some people in each religion are bad. I tend to view actual religious practices as neutral, and dependent on whose practicing them. So if I got anything really wrong, or really egregiously offensive, please kindly let me know, so I can try to fix it.

It may read like homework to you, but I promise I’m having fun.

[sillysybilsden]

Ehilà, viaggiatore

Hey there, traveller

Dedicated to my twin Lares.

Foreword

Hello there! It's me, the Silly Sybil (fka Clever Crow). I've been wanting to do this post for months, but life got in the way and I eventually forgot about it. But hey: better late than never, right?

Now, to the post.

In this foreword, I do want to address the nature of my resources. In fact, I am not writing all of this off of articles or academic works, but off of a questionnaire I had published back in July 2023. The answers given by fellow pagans are the main resources for this blog, whose objective is that of determining the main characteristics of two different approaches to lost practices: reconstructionism and revivalism.

Why choose such a peculiar approach to resources? Reconstructionism and revivalism are part of a spectrum, which can be intended and defined differently by different practitioners. Every pagan will have a slightly different idea of these terms. That means that these labels do not have a universal meaning - there is no institution recognised worldwide that gives us the requirements to be a revivalist or a reconstructionist: it is up to the practitioner and their understanding of the term. This is the reason why I've decided to opt for a form rather than articles as a resource. After all, who, better than a pagan who lives and practices paganism daily, can instruct us about paganism-related terms?

One last important thing I want to do is introduce you to our “cast”* - the wonderful pagans who took the time to compile the form, that is:

➳ anonymous contibutor (revivalist)

➳ Dead (revivalist)

➳ Guenevere (reconstructionist)

➳ Magpie (reconstructionist)

I do feel like thanking the people above is the least I can do. For this reason, I thank all of those who participated from the bottom of my heart: this post wouldn't exist without you.

*The "cast" is formed by aquaintances from a closed Amino community.

On paganism

In order to understand the definition of paganism-related labels, we must first define paganism. My personal research led me to two definitions I will provide you with:

An umbrella-term that indicates non-Abrahamic religions*;

An umbrella-term that indicates religions that are not main world religions**.

The options above might seem similar - if not identical. However, the subtle difference between them is extremely important.

According to Dr. Angela Puca¹, pagan beliefs/religions show the following characteristics:

A polytheistic and animistic approach to spirituality;

A direct relationship with the divine - which sometimes translates with little interest to scriptures and interactions in a non-institutionalised way;

The belief of immanence - the belief that the divine is everywhere and, thus, is not external to the natural world but within the same;

As a consequence of (3.), the reverence for everything as everything holds divine power.

For the reasons above, pagans are very likely to believe in magick - if not practice it. Quoting Dr. Puca, one could say that some of the most popular beliefs that fall under paganism are “Wicca/Witchcraft, Druidry, Heathernry, Asatrù, Goddess worship, ethnic reconstructions and other animist earth-based traditions”.

Now that we have defined, very broadly, what paganism is, let us get to reconstructionism and revivalism.

*Abrahamic religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

**Main world religions include, among the others, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

On reconstructionism

“Reconstructionism is about recreating an ancient or dead religion as closely as possible to the original source. This means learning about, understanding, and incorporating historical traditions. Being a Reconstructionist involves a lot of time and research.” - Magpie

“A reconstructionist seeks to find the historic pieces of practice and remain true to that as best they can.” - Guevevere

As the two members of the cast above already said ever-so-clearly, reconstructionism puts a lot of emphasis on historical accuracy - which revivalism also does but to a lesser extent, as we will see later on. The key characteristic of this approach to pagan traditions is the will to practice a dead religion as it was by ancient peoples.

For example: a modern Hellenic polytheist who considers themselves a reconstructionist will do a ritual as a 3rd century BCE Hellenic polytheist would have - if that is indeed the era they mean to reconstruct: the same pagan religion can show different characteristics depending on the century.

The modern reconstructionist practitioner will not alter the rituals and, sometimes, nor will they attempt to fill the gaps with their own UPG*². For this reason, many reconstructionists affirm that it takes a lot of time and research for them to add new practices to their own, as they must research thoroughly the subject and reconstruct it exclusively thanks to historical accounts - for this reason, they rely on academical and primary resources**. Sometimes, if gaps make it impossible to reconstruct a, say, ritual, reconstructionists might decide not to include it in its entirety - in place of, as said before, use any UPG to fill said gaps.

*Unverified Personal Gnosis: a belief that is not backed up by mythos and is exclusively theorized/recognised by the single practitioner.

**Primary resources: texts that were written in the historical period that one is researching. Eg: Saint Augustine of Hippo's texts are a primary resource to those who are researching 4th/5th century Christianity.

On revivalism

“Revivalism is a sort of subcategory of Reconstruction. It has the same goals and also has an emphasis on historical accuracy but tends to be on the less strict side and not as culturally focused*. While Recon. as a whole would include people that expect near-total adherence to historically or culturally attested practices, Revivalism is more theologically focused and has more room for adaptation to one's existing culture and environment. *cultural context is still important, revivalism just doesn't expect participation/membership to a specific culture.” - Dead

“Revivalists keep a sense of tradition within their practice but still allow room for UPG/SPG* and modern practices while still keeping it within the religion.” - anonymous contributor

As we anticipated before, revivalism, too, heavily focuses on historical accuracy. However, there is more room to add one's personal beliefs and/or alter some parts of the practice. This is the very big - and very important - difference between the two approaches: while reconstructionism hardly accepts UPG or SPG to fill the gaps - and, so, adjust part of a practice to one's needs/beliefs -, revivalism is much more flexible on that bit.

For example: a modern Gaulish polytheist who considers themselves a revivalist might decide to fill the gaps given by the little - and biased - resources on their practice by adding their own UPG to what is already historically attested.

Just because revivalism accepts UPG and SPG, it doesn't mean that it is a less-demanding approach than reconstructionism. In fact, it does require the same amount of research and of digging into academic and primary texts. Revivalism is about *adapting* an historical practice; it is not about eradicating it from its original historical and/or cultural context, which has to be researched nonetheless. One could say that revivalists want to reconstruct ancient practices as if they were never destroyed in the first place, taking into account the evolutions such practices would have gone through in the contemporary world. Thus, using one of the examples above, if I am a revivalist I am not practicing Hellenic polytheism as a 3rd century BCE polytheist would have, but I am practicing it as a potential 2024 Hellenic polytheist would have after all of the probable changes religion could have gone through.

To better explain the difference between reconstructionism and revivalism: Roman deities used to be offered incense and wine. If I were to use a reconstructionist approach, I might want to stick to these offerings as they are two of the few offerings that are historically attested. If I were to use a revivalist approach, I might prefer using incense or wine, but I could opt for a strawberry beverage from time to time.

*Shared Personal Gnosis: a belief that is not backed up by mythos and is exclusively theorized/recognised by a group of practitioners.

Conclusion

I personally, to this day, do not know whether to consider myself a reconstructionist or a revivalist. That is because, depending on the pagan community you're interacting with, the "requirements" to label yourself as reconstructionist or revivalist might change - and this is something I already mentioned in the foreword. What I - and the other contributors - tried to do is give you some very broad guidelines in order to let you establish whether you fall under one or the other category.

If you do not find any of these two approaches fitting for you, there is no need to worry: as I stated in the foreword, we are talking about a spectrum. Some people lean towards one of the two extremes of this spectrum and there might be people who find themselves outside of it, which is valid nonetheless.

This being said, I thank you all for reading this blog. Let me know in the comments whether you describe yourself as a reconstructionist, a revivalist or something else entirely!

Wish you a pleasant day/evening/night.

The Silly Sybil

Resources

Informative

¹ Dr. Angela Puca's video on paganism

² Dead's post on UPG and SPG

Paintings

¹ "Priestess of Delphi" by John Collier

² "Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse

³ "Roman Woman Lighing a Lamp at the Home Altar" by Stephan Wladilawowitsch Bakalowicz

[evolutionsvoid]

The Church of Divine Wealth is, without a doubt, the ruling body of these lands. The reach of the Ichor faith has spread far and wide across the continent, and there is no denying who calls the shots around here. It was not always like this, the Church wasn't always the dominant religion, but those who came before are mere dust now. Those who did not join the growing faith of gold were thoroughly crushed, or left in such a small pathetic state that they can do little but pray in the forgotten shadows. To those who revel in this religion, the Church is second to none and has no equal. They are an empire that has held sway over these lands for a very long time. To even oppose them seems impossible, as the Church is absolute. Yet, even though no other stands at their level, they are not unopposed...

Every follower of the Ichor knows of the Academy of Veritas Mundus, it is a name they practically spit out. An institution that refused to perish with the others, and has stubbornly held on despite being in a land that despises them. How the Academy was able to survive for so long, and even grow to such proportions, is a mystery to all. Rumor claims that the Academy way back when was slated to become a pillar of the Church, the organization showing enough promise that the divine wished to welcome them into the fold. Yet, this offer was rejected or taken back, depending on who you ask. Regardless of who denied the other, the reason seems obvious. Those who aligned with the Academy had no need for faith. They don't want belief or comfort, they want answers.

The Academy of Veritas Mundus is an institute that is determined in finding the answers to every one of the world's mysteries. They see the strange ways of the lands, the wondrous powers of the humors and vow to achieve perfect understanding. They wish to unlock the secrets of the past, while harnessing the future. They seek answers from the bowels of the dark ocean to the starry sky above. Be it the gods that fall upon this land or the ancient remains of those long past below, they will happily dissect all. The Academy worships progress, knowledge and ability. They are not satisfied with vague faith and hopeful belief. The realm of gods and their vast gifts are not ones we should pray to, they are ones we should be reaching up to seize for ourselves.

It is said the Church denounced the Academy when it realized that they held no faith for the Ichor and Humors. Though the Academy does indeed recognize their power and potential, they have little care for worship or offerings. To them, the fluids are mysterious ingredients, avenues of research and study. They should be run through experiments and utilized to their utmost potential, not left to sit in stagnant pools while fools bleated scripture at them. Ichor is no exception, as the blood of the gods should be studied and wielded. The Academy has no reverence for these things, and thus had no place with the Church. If let into their temples, no doubt the Academy would see these vast displays as a supply closet more than an image of divinity.

So thus the Academy and Church became foes, and have continued to be bitter rivals to this day. Despite the Church labeling them as an enemy and an institute of heretics, the Academy of Veritas Mundus has grown to an impressive size. Though they have no place equal to the holy city, they possess many defended campuses and research halls. Fortresses of experimentation and study, marvelous designs that would be admired if the Church had not vilified them. Throughout the lands are scatterings of laboratories and study halls, each heavily fortified and ready for invading swarms of ravenous believers. Even though they are despised and seen as a cruel blasphemous organization, the Academy has its own fair share of followers. The farther one goes away from the holy city, the weaker the Church's grip gets, and the Academy has learned how to woo those that are far from the blessings of gold. They may not have comforting beliefs and prayer to offer, but they do possess valuable medicine and incredible inventions. For some folk, the religion they believe in is the one that cures their village of a plague, and the Academy fits the bill. Some of their armored research halls have sprouted towns outside their walls, as folk come in hopes of being blessed with their ingenuity and craftiness. And when war and chaos are running rampant, any safe place is worth worshiping.

While to the outside eye of a believer, the Academy is just an organization of obsessive scholars and researchers who will do anything for a breakthrough. In truth, the Academy of Veritas Mundus is a vast institute with many different groups found within their walls. All of them do swear themselves to the Academy as a whole, but each has their niche they eagerly fill, caring for little else. Like the Antiquaries who are fascinated by dragons and the ancient age of Eitr, or the Astrologers who look to the dripping heavens and wonder about the Pwdre Ser that rains down. These “arms” of the Academy take these subjects and dissect them down to smallest pieces, determined to solve these vast riddles and unlock the path for humanity to evolve. Here in these great halls, these many professions and obsessions can come together, bringing forth many breakthroughs and theories that fuel others in their hunt for answers. Though seen as heretical, there is no denying that the Academy is responsible for many life-changing inventions, some that even make their way into golden temples despite the Church calling such things “evil” and “blasphemous.” Such detraction only lasts until the Church finds their own use for these creations.   

Of all the different arms of the Academy, the most common and well known amongst them are the Alchemists. They are the ones who are devoted to learning the secrets of the Humors and Godly Fluids, always experimenting and creating new elixirs. Alchemists seem to have an endless amount of theories and avenues to explore, be it discovering fantastical recipes, transforming substances, figuring out how to birth new life and so forth. Each member seems to have their own subject to pursue, their personal magnum opus to achieve. Their devotion to this is why they share the same reputation as the Academy of being cold, distant and uncaring towards others. It is because they are obsessed with their work and reputation, they need to be proven right and seen as a genius. Everything outside of their research and experiments is unnecessary and frivolous. However, if you were to engage them about their work, that is where you will see their emotion and passion. They can ramble for hours about their theories, and try experiments over and over for weeks without tiring or growing bored. Their research is their life, which is why an Alchemist wouldn’t flinch to see someone cut down, but would throw themselves in front of a bolt if it was headed towards their elixir or one of their beloved homunculi.

Alchemists spend most of their lives within their research halls, tucked away in personal labs and workshops as they toil away on their project. Few folk see them outside, only in rare cases where no one else will fetch the supplies they need, or they are traveling towards a sponsor to show off their latest discovery. Though the dress and equipment may vary between them, there are a few signifying features of an Alchemist. First is their mask, a featureless slab of ivory that bears eight eyes. They are arranged in the pattern of the Academy’s symbol, which is that of an eight pointed star overlaying a globe. This symbol was said to be born when the Academy’s founder was strolling on the beach to ease their mind. There they witnessed a seastar feasting on a bivalve, and the image of the creature slowly wrenching open this impenetrable obstacle inspired them. The Academy was much like this seastar, slow, methodical and determined. Their many arms reach all, and thus its position over a globe. The world itself is a shell that must be cracked open and its valuable secrets finally exposed. The Academy finds this image inspiring and fitting, while outsiders wonder if the eight pointed star is holding the world or eating it.

 Their affiliation to echinoderms can be seen in their other feature, which is a construct of four tendril arms that is latched onto their backs. These prosthetics grant the Alchemists a total of eight limbs, much like their beloved star. It also allows them to work at an incredible pace, constantly mixing, measuring and fussing. Alchemists grow so used to having these extra limbs, that some folk swear these arms work while the user sleeps. Their pursuit for knowledge is never ending, thus pausing for food and rest is kept to a minimum. These arms work furiously every waking moment, almost moving in a blur. And if they are to be drawn into a needless fight, you can be sure these limbs will aid in lobbing explosive mixtures and wielding deadly weapons.

But perhaps the easiest way to see if one is aligned with the Academy is to look for silver, as it is the ultimate sign of heresy. For much to the Church’s horror, the Academy of Veritas Mundus has taken an interest in the forbidden fluid of Alkahest. The wretched liquid that dissolves almost everything it touches, reducing it to gray sterile powder.  While the Church of Divine Wealth deems it the opposite of Ichor and a blasphemous fluid that must be destroyed, the Academy has embraced it. If this was to snub the Church or for their own interest, no one can say, but it is obvious that they have grown quite attached to it. The Academy is responsible for absconding with Alkahest whenever it is discovered, and some say a few of their buildings are erected overtop buried pools of it. Though it is an extremely dangerous fluid, one of ultimate death itself, the Academy seems to have found a way to tame it. They have crafted special crucibles and glasses that can hold it without melting, and use it just like any other ingredient. They have even found ways to work it into their inventions, “tempering” it so that it can be utilized without destroying the whole contraption. Many bone tools and creations of them will have a grayish hue to them, which is caused by them mixing in the ashen powder into their forges to create a stronger ivory. Their weapons possess a silvery edge to them, which is the result of them turning Alkahest into a solid. This technique is fiercely guarded and supposedly very complicated, but the “quicksilver” blades they forge from it are capable of cutting through anything. Even now, the Alchemists continue to chip away at the mystery of Alkahest, and there is no telling what horrible discoveries and inventions will come from the fluid of death itself.

Now in recent days, it seems their alignment with Alkahest and hatred of the Church has finally come forth in full force, as the Academy has declared war. Though they lack the sheer numbers and resources that the Church of Divine Wealth has, they know very well how to fight smart and take advantage of any situation. It is why they threw in their gauntlet only after the civil war within the Church broke out, as they knew this moment of weakness was their chance. Now the Alchemists in their halls work furiously to create new elixirs to strengthen their troops and doom their enemies. They churn out homunculi to arm their siege weapons and fight their battles. And yet they still fuss over their theories and work, still determined to climb the ranks and become one of the greats. The result of all this is the need for more resources and test subjects, which may prove true the old stories of the Academy abducting folk to use in their cruel tests. While to the common man, this practice of experimenting on living victims seems horrific, to the Academy it is a necessity. In the pursuit of knowledge and answers, one cannot shy away from extremes and the sacrifices needed to advance. To them, it is more of a crime to abandon a fruitful concept at the fear of upsetting morals than it is to force feed prisoners their latest concoction. Such cowardice is a sure way to becoming a Betrüger, and no Alchemist wants such shame. They want answers, progress and their grand magnum opus, nothing else matters. Some wonder if the madness that grips some Alchemists may be the result of them imbibing in too many of their creations…

----------------------

"Alchemist of the Academy"

Hoo buddy is this a long one, but it had to be because we talking about the Academy of Veritas Mundus! The rival to the Church, in the incredibly unsubtle "religion vs science" sorta way. This entry is very long to help establish some groundwork, because boy howdy is there so much more.

[cupidologys]

⸻ CHAPTER FIVE; ALL MEN ARE EQUAL

pairing: dazai x f!reader (fantasy au)

warnings: mentions/themes of depression

chapter list: this is CHAPTER FIVE of a multi-chapter fic series. PLEASE read the chapters below (in order) before this one or you will be very lost!!

prologue

one

two

three

four

word count: 3.5k

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

Back in your homeland, at the Imperial Palace, the largest constructed facilities are ones of sport and training. Sharpened swords and polished armour take the place of bookshelves on bedroom walls, and the practice of scripture is seldom found. Higher education, though no less important than warfare, is strictly limited to scriveners, court officials, and the professional erudites of your father’s choosing. In the face of current conflicts, most of your father’s people are far more absorbed in military affairs and bureaucracy than arithmetics, the sciences and the humanities.

Although, when it came to you, it was like a switch went off and all those sentiments were turned upside down. 

By a certain age, your tutelage switched from scholarly knowledge to that of etiquette and what he referred to as ‘womanly affairs’. Those usually consisted of things like sewing, music, and art classes. The only one you ever enjoyed was the horseback lessons. 

But thankfully, your father’s one track mind meant you were never discovered for—or suspected of—possessing further-education books and studying politics, diplomacy, and military tactics on the days general schooling lessons were cancelled. It is why you find yourself in the royal library, hours before you are due to meet Dazai for dinner. 

Hundreds, if not thousands, of marble shelves line the walls from floor to ceiling. Each one is stacked, end-to-end, with leather bound tomes and tea-stained manuscripts. There is a fireplace in the right corner, carved from blackened stone and crackling with warmth. Around it sits a pair of dark-green, thickly-cushioned armchairs, along with a matching sofa that is wide enough to fit at least four people. 

You walk further in and are greeted with four arched windows spanning the length and height of the space, each one clear as the summer sea. You squint, momentarily blinded by a sudden passing ray of sunlight. Birds are chirping underneath the morning sky, and branches of a looming willow tree sway in front of the left-most window. You take in the sprawling garden view; a labyrinthine maze of hedges take up the centre, and a large assortment of decorations speckle the grounds. Smaller fountains, rainbow flower beds, and iron-wrought benches are only a few of what you can see. 

You look around a bit more, noting the study tables anchored to the floor and the winding staircase that leads to the open-plan second floor. The library is well-kept, as shown by the pots holding blooming flowers along the window sills, but the dust lining the shelves indicates that no one has used the archives in a long time. You wonder why—it is the first and only comforting place that you have found in the cold, lonely palace. 

You make your way down the stacks before a section catches your eye.

A Comprehensive Guide on Abilities and a Meta Analysis on their Structural Archetypes; 

The Scholar’s Circle’s Codex on Yokohama’s Political Affairs;

North vs. South: A Dynastic Tale of Continental History. 

You grab all three and almost lose your balance from the weight of each text. More and more books are added to the pile in your arms until you can no longer see straight ahead. 

With a huff, you drop the mountain of pending research onto an oak-stained study table and quickly get to work. 

Hours pass, the concept of time long faded as you lose yourself in the world of preternatural powers, warring states, and the cluttered institutions that make up the Kingdom in its most present form. 

The striking differences between Yokohama and the Northern Empire are more vast than you had ever imagined. It's a stark contrast—governance, industry, arts, religion and everything else you've come across so far. Not a single commonality to be found.

“How has…? But wouldn’t the roots originate from the dark ages? Let’s see…” you mumble, talking to no one in particular. 

“Have you found a specially interesting read?” A particular person asks. 

You fall out of your seat in surprise. 

“General!” You squeak, reeling from his sudden appearance. 

The mild-mannered Fukuzawa gives you a gentle smile and moves to help you up. He hooks two large arms under your own and lifts you back onto your chair. The scene reminds you of a mother cat picking its kitten up by the scruff of its neck.

You drop your head onto the table in embarrassment, refusing to make eye contact until, hopefully, a meteor comes falling onto earth and crushes you to death. 

“Good morning, General,” you mutter. 

“Hmm.”

You peek up at him with one eye. “What?”

“It is five in the evening,” he replies, bemused. 

“What?!” You bolt up, shame long forgotten. 

It takes you a second to realize how orange the library is, cast in the hues from the setting sun. 

You drag a hand over your face, rubbing the fatigue from your eyes. “Shit, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”

Fukuzawa raises a brow. 

“What? You’ve never heard a noble cuss before?” 

He taps his chin. “I can’t say I have. You truly are a breath of fresh air, Your Highness.”

You grin. “As are you, General. And please…”

He listens, head tilting in curiosity. 

“It is [name]. We are friends, are we not?” Your false sincerity coats your words like a second skin.  

The sun dips far below the horizon, robbing the world of its light. You take in the storm clouds in the distance, absentmindedly wondering if the Empire would experience the same downpour later in the night. 

Fukuzawa ponders your question for a moment longer before answering. “We are, but I am also your subordinate, so I am afraid I must decline.”

“And if it is an order?”

Fukuzawa’s eyes sparkle. “Then I am under aristocratic obligation to comply.”

In a tone laced with authority and bemusement, you proclaim: “I, acting Monarch of Yokohama, hereby order General Yukichi Fukuzawa to act beyond propriety and address me by given name only. No titles, no fancy designations. Just [name].” 

“As long as you are willing to grant me that same honor, [name].”

You grin. “See? Isn’t that so much better, Yukichi?”

The General only laughs and turns to take a seat across from you. The armour he dons makes a clanging noise as he settles himself. Patches of dirt litter the surface of the metal while other areas sport minor indents—likely from the force of a blade's flat or hilt. 

“Did that hurt?” You nod towards the largest dip in the steel. 

He looks down at his left side, around the area between his upper ribs. “Couldn’t even feel it.”

“Of course not,” you wave, returning your attention back to the pages. 

“I see you are interested in…” Fukuzawa leans over the table, peering at the emboldened titles of each tome. “Yokohama politics, history, and culture?”

“The pen is mightier than the sword, as they say,” you muse. “And a bright mind is far mightier than those stumbling blind in the darkness of their own ignorance.”

“I do wish more members of the court shared that sentiment. It would certainly make my migraines less frequent.” 

You faintly recall the term from a book you finished earlier. “The… inner court?”

“The very same. A parliamentary round table of aristocrats and representatives, headed by the Four Noble Houses.”

“The Four Noble Houses? You mean…” You cringe, an unpleasant memory resurfacing. 

Fukuzawa’s eyes gleam with amusement. “Ah, yes. I recall a certain purple-faced duke drenched in the colours of His Majesty’s most favoured cabernet sauvignon.”

You smile sheepishly. “I messed up, didn’t I?”

“Formally? Yes.”

You groan and drop your head in your hands.

Fukuzawa lays a palm on your shoulder and gives you a gentle pat. 

“But reasonably? Absolutely not. He deserved ten times worse than what he got.”

“Someone needed to stand up to him,” you point out. 

“Sadly, there are not many people who can.”

You sigh at that and go back to your research. The moment you set your eyes back on the book, the pages in front of you begin to blur and mesh into a whirlpool of ink. 

“Maybe it is time for a break…” you murmur. 

Fukuzawa leans forward and studies your fatigued expression. 

“What have you learned so far?”

You snort. “You mean other than our sordid history? The decades of hatred and conflict brewing between our countries?”

“Ah, yes. Besides that fun little facet of our politics.”

You run through the miles of information you had just absorbed, each little bit coming together piece by piece to paint a very clear picture of the modern world—one where mystic abilities, gods of old, and monsters coexist in disharmony. 

‘Abilities’ as you have come to know them, are practically non-existent among the lower caste in the Northern Empire. The only ones who wield them are of noble blood, aside from the rare few commoners—unfortunate individuals who would be executed for merely holding power outside of their status. Even then, barely anyone manifests one. In recent years, the only ability-user you know of is Chuuya.  

In Yokohama, these powers are respected, admired, and much more plentiful. In your textual observations, it is noted that the military and governing leaders are chosen for their abilities. 

“Hm… what is yours?”

 You are curious. What sort of fate-bending, death-defying power could this seasoned warrior have?

“Mine?”

“Your ability. You must have one, being the head of such an elite corps.”

“My ability…” he pauses. 

You raised a teasing brow. “What? You’re not going to tell me?”

“Just considering the risks of doing so. You have proven yourself to be both smart and deceitful. A deadly combination.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?” You place a hand on your chest in mock offence, scoffing in indignation. 

Fukuzawa laughs—that familiar smooth rumble that you have come to find placating. “Would I be wise to?”

“Of course not.” You wave a dismissive hand. “But you should tell me anyway because I am curious and stubborn and will likely find out on my own regardless.”

The general’s gaze is filled with a kind of warmth that is unknown to you, only interrupted by a flicker of a melancholy that twists his expression momentarily." It happens so fast you almost mistake it for a trick of the light.

“You remind me so much of her…” He mumbles under his breath so softly you pass it off as a whisper of the wind. “Very well. I will tell you.”

The sun has all but disappeared from the horizon, the shimmering moon slipping in its place. The dark, glittering night falls onto Fukuzawa’s features beautifully, making  him seem a little more weathered and a little less mundane as he explains his decidedly non-mundane powers. 

“It allows me to control my soldiers’ own abilities. I am able to manipulate their capabilities, help navigate their potential, and expand the boundaries of what they can do. That is my ability,” he explains. 

You mull over Fukuzawa’s words, a bit surprised at the nature of it all. The powerfully built military veteran looks at you like he knows what you are thinking—knows that you are confused on why someone with his battle prowess has such a passive skill. 

“You forget, Your Highness, that before I am a warrior, I am first and foremost a leader. Without my men, I am nothing, and without me, many of those men would not have survived until now,” he states. He says it like a fact, and perhaps in some ways, it is. It makes more sense the longer you think on it, his ability is almost perfectly suited to his position. You wonder what yours would be if you manifested one. What about Dazai? Would his ability reflect bloodthirst and coldness? Or would it be the opposite of what you know him as?

You make a mental note to come back to that question later, and direct your attention back to the conversation at hand. 

“[Name],” you correct.

Fukuzawa blinks. “Sorry?”

“You called me ‘Your Highness’ just now.”

“I apologize. Force of habit,” he drops his head in a slight bow and the moonlight streaming through the open windows reflects off his gray hair, transforming it into a silver mane. 

Fukuzawa apologizes to you a lot, like a father fumbling for words in front of his newborn, careful not to be anything but kind. If anything, you find it endearing. As well as a little… disappointing. 

“General.”

Fukuzawa’s smile drops at your change in tone. The worry in his eyes is clear. “Is something wrong?”

You give him a small smile, a tad tense. “No. Not really. Though, I would like to ask you something. Would you humour me?”

“Of course. I will answer anything within reason,” he reassures. 

You rest your cheek against your palm, curiosity and wariness burning bright. 

“Why are you so kind to me? I know how this country views the Empire—views me. I am not blind to the scornful glances nor hidden insults thrown around. I am numb to them. But you… Kunikida… that peculiar doctor as well, you are all much too cordial with a sworn enemy. Is it pity? Some misplaced sense of duty? Or perhaps it is all fake and you are all laughing behind my back as we speak.”

Silence spreads through the empty library, the only noises are the crackling of the fireplace and the gentle swishes of the willow branch behind you. The only thing you hear is your pulse thrumming against your skull.

If Fukuzawa is taken aback by your bluntness, he does not show it. Despite only knowing you for this short period of time, he is probably already used to your brusque manner of speech. He folds his hands in front of him and leans backward, taking some time to come up with a suitable answer. You can practically see the gears turning in that head of his. 

A few moments pass before he finally speaks in a serious, yet gentle, voice.

“Do you think yourself undeserving of our respect?”

You shake your head and answer: “Not at all. I am only surprised you would willingly impart it to me.”

“I cannot speak on Sir Kunikida or Dr. Yosano’s behalf—although, I imagine they share the same thoughts—but I am kind to you because it is common sense. I am kind to you because I am honoured to serve under your reign,” Fukuzawa assures. His expression softens. “I am truly sorry about the harassment you have had to endure. I will do my best to keep them in check, but if it happens again, do not be afraid to use your status. You are their ruler. Do not let them forget it.”

A lump forms in your throat and you force yourself to swallow it down. The support eases your heart, but the anxiety does not fully disappear, nor does the cold tingle of resentment in your chest. They probably never will. For now, you will accept his words, but with caution, as you are still very much in enemy territory. You will need to lead with your mind to survive, not your heart.  

And Fukuzawa? The gentle general is merely a stepping stone, not a friend. 

“I… am grateful. Tha—”

“General Fukuzawa!” In a very familiar fashion, the doors to the library burst open to reveal a man, effectively cutting you off. 

Kunikida stands beneath the frame, face alarmingly red and breaths coming out in short, laboured puffs. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Fukuzawa grimacing. 

“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?.” The minister spits out each word with barely contained anger—more accusation than actual question. 

“Chief Minister.” Fukuzawa bows and slowly inches himself towards the door, closer and closer to the fuming blonde. “I see you are… upset.”

Kunikida’s eye twitches. “Upset? Upset?!” His voice hits an impressive octave and you briefly wonder if he’s ever considered a career in opera. He certainly has the knack for it. 

“I—” 

“The outdoor arena is on fire.”

The general clears his throat. 

“Right. I did tell them not to try out those new techniques without me around, though His Majesty’s soldiers were never ones to adhere to the rules.”

“A black hole opened up in the ceiling and swallowed three stable boys. They were… fully nude when they fell out an hour later.”

Fukuzawa blinks. 

“That’s… new.”

“You have five seconds,” Kunikida says flatly. 

“Well. Duty calls. I shall have to put out some fires… er… literally.” Fukuzawa makes his way to the open doors and is about to leave when he adds: “Have a wonderful  night, [name].”

“Good luck,” you laugh. 

He gives you a small wave before disappearing down the hall. 

You turn your attention to Kunikida who is now slightly less red, though still glowing a nice shade of pink. 

“Good evening, Chief Minister. To what do I owe the pleasure?” You ask. 

“I am here to bring you to dinner service. Perhaps you have forgotten? You seem to be engrossed in our literary offerings,” he answers plainly. 

Kunikida stays standing, but has walked further into the room, hands clasped behind him as he studies the books you chose with furrowed eyebrows. 

“I enjoy reading. Is that such a crime?”

“I am only surprised you were able to find this place. After His Majesty banned entry, most just ignore it as they pass by.”

You cock your head to the right. “I was curious about that. Why? It is a beautiful library—a sunlit treasure trove of knowledge. I would imagine most people would be clawing at the doors for just a glance, yet it is as barren and untravelled as the deserts in the West,” you muse.

 Your curiosity is only a mild interest until Kunikida’s gaze sharply turns away from yours, blatantly avoiding your poking and prodding. His averted eyes cause what little inquisitiveness you had just felt to balloon into a wave of eager investigation. 

“Kunikida.”

He adjusts his glasses and nervously glances at his timepiece. “We are going to be late if—”

“Kunikida.”

He sighs, relenting. 

“If nobody uses this place, why is it so well kept? There are no dirt patches or cobwebs, but the dust between pages suggests that no one has opened them for many years. ”

“If I were to make an educated guess…” Kunikida stops for a moment to think. “I would wager that His Majesty misses what it used to be, and is only trying to preserve the last of that magic. Though the memories here are much too vivid and much too painful for him to come back to.”

What it used to be… 

A flicker of something… a fleeting feeling… No. A memory. At the very back of your mind—

“But I do not think he will continue to do so.”

It vanishes, and you fall back to reality, grasping at nothing and nowhere. 

You shake yourself out of your daze, a bit peeved at the interruption, but curious all the same. 

“Do what? Preserve this place? You believe he will let it just… crumble to ruins?”

Kunikida takes a seat and folds his gloved hands together. The lines on his forehead appear as he tenses, preparing his next words with careful precision. He works his jaw, tension releasing and forming with each movement, as if he is warring internally, fighting to either let the words out or keep it in. 

You hope he chooses the former. The more information, the better. 

His expression settles and a stern look replaces his calm visage. Whatever he has to say must be serious.

You catch yourself tapping the side of your thigh anxiously under the table and clamp your fingers down on your leg… hard. Your father did always say that a royal must be poised and perfect, and he made it extremely clear that such emotions were to be erased and forgotten. 

And if they weren’t… 

A chill runs down your spine at the memories.

“I am well aware that you are, and pardon my candor, untrustworthy.”

You almost snort. Not the first time you’ve heard that and it certainly won’t be the last.

Kunikida continues. “But I believe it is only right to tell you as His Majesty’s spouse. King Dazai is… he is…” Kunikida pauses as he fumbles for the right word. 

A clock ticks. Kunikida settles on a phrase. 

“Unwell. A disease of the mind and heart that has stolen his will. He is here only to serve a purpose and that purpose is not to live out the rest of his life. He exists, but for years now he has not been… here. Almost as if one wrong move and the line His Majesty balances upon disappears and takes him with it.”

Time slows. The air thickens. Are you breathing?

“Slowly but surely, he is fading away,” Kunikida pauses and swallows as he tries to work out his next words. 

“Some days I believe he is better. Most days I do not allow myself to indulge in such a lie.”

—

˚ · . tags: @zjarrmiii @aiizenn @emyyy007 @letsliveagaintoday @bejeweledgirl @nat-the-gayass-down-bad-mf

[darkmaga-returns]

Only a small fraction of Americans see the world through a biblical lens despite most identifying as Christians, explains Dr. George Barna, co-founder of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, in an exclusive interview with Alex Newman on The Sentinel Report. This is a crisis, he warns.

According to Dr. Barna’s research, the worldview known as “syncretism,” which he describes as “the blending of elements from multiple worldviews into a customized individual philosophy of life,” has taken over the belief landscape of the United States once dominated by Christianity.

To make matters worse, Barna’s research shows only 37% of Christian pastors have a working, robust biblical worldview. That partly explains why so many church-going Christians no longer see the world and issues through a scriptural lens.

A biblical worldview is the understanding of the world that led to the creation of the United States as a free nation as well as its institutions created under the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It also produced and underpinned the “West,” known until recently as “Christendom.”

Despite the bad news, Barna offers solutions and reasons for hope in the interview. Perhaps most importantly, he encourages parents to fulfill their biblical responsibility to educate, equip, disciple, and train their children during formative years.

[problematic-fodlan]

The "you don't have to follow the religion" argument is so stupid.

It doesn't matter if you don't believe it because everyone else does. It's the official religion of Ardestia, it's the basis of Faerghas's creation. All of the lords in Leicester probably believe it too.

You didn't have to believe in Christianity in medieval Europe, but that's only if you were fine being a hermit. If you wanted to be part of a community and not be outcasted, you'd better show up to church on Sunday.

Rhea doesn't have to use any magic dragon powers to make everyone believe the church is true because she's already used her centuries-long lifespan to create a society that systemically does what she wants.

Believers all look up to her and defer to her as the greatest authority in the land, non believers are all either a super minority or a savage, and she can just keep doing this forever until she gets what she wants.

The reason that Edelgard starts a war and Lonato is relegated to a minor footnote in history is because she becomes the emperor. She gains the social capital of being the number two figure in the land and then challenges the authority of number one.

Another argument people make is that there isn't any evidence in the game that she stamps out scientific progress or crest research but that's just because she's already done everything she has to do. The Seiros religion itself is the basis of reality that all the people of Fodlan reach from.

In the chapter after Byleth's hair turns green, Linhardt notes that according to Rhea, the limits of crest power are out in place by the goddess. This is an example of how church scripture is used as a measure of what is possible.

Compare this to history's Galileo, whose discovery of heliocentrism is discredited by the Catholic Church because surprise, that's not what the Scripture says.

Rhea is controlling all of Fodlan, and has been ever since she invented the Church of Seiros. Not because she's a dragon, but because she's the head of a religious institute that she built from the ground up.

And the reason she's doing all of this, why she needs to be the top of power with access to whatever she wants, is to bring back her dead mom. You can say that she doesn't actually mind human progress, but she has a vested interest in keeping Fodlan bent to her will.

-

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan

1 And when Ya‛aqoḇ saw that there was grain in Mitsrayim, Ya‛aqoḇ said to his sons, “Why do you look at each other?”

2 And he said, “See, I have heard that there is grain in Mitsrayim. Go down to that place and buy for us there, and let us live and not die.”

3 And Yosĕph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Mitsrayim.

4 But Ya‛aqoḇ did not send Yosĕph’s brother Binyamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some harm come to him.”

5 And the sons of Yisra’ĕl went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the scarcity of food was in the land of Kena‛an.

6 And Yosĕph was the governor over the land, he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Yosĕph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Yosĕph saw his brothers and recognised them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly, and said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Kena‛an to buy food.”

8 So Yosĕph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him.

9 And Yosĕph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

10 And they said to him, “No, my master, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 “We are all one man’s sons, we are trustworthy, your servants are not spies.”

12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kena‛an. And see, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

14 And Yosĕph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

15 “By this you shall be proven: By the life of Pharaoh, you do not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16 “Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you are kept in prison. So let your words be proven to see whether there is any truth in you, or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies!”

17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.

18 Now Yosĕph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear Elohim:

19 “If you are trustworthy, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house, and you, go, bring grain for the scarcity of food of your houses.

20 “And bring your youngest brother to me, and let your words be confirmed, and you do not die.” And so they did.

21 And they said to each other, “Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the distress of his life when he pleaded with us, yet we did not listen, that is why this distress has come upon us.”

22 And Re’uḇĕn answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen? And see, his blood is now required of us.”

23 And they did not know that Yosĕph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away from them and wept, but came back to them and spoke to them. And he took Shim‛on from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 And Yosĕph commanded and they filled their sacks with grain, also to put back every man’s silver to his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and went from there.

27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his silver, for there it was in the mouth of his sack!

28 And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned, and there it is, in my sack!” And their hearts sank and they were afraid, saying to each other, “What is this that Elohim has done to us?”

29 So they came to Ya‛aqoḇ their father in the land of Kena‛an and reported to him all that befell them, saying,

30 “The man, the master of the land, spoke to us harshly, and took us for spies of the land.

31 “But we said to him, ‘We are trustworthy, we are not spies.

32 ‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Kena‛an.’

33 “And the man, the master of the land, said to us, ‘By this I know that you are trustworthy: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for the scarcity of food of your households, and go.

34 ‘And bring your youngest brother to me, then I know that you are not spies, but that you are trustworthy – I give your brother to you, and you move about in the land.’ ”

35 And it came to be as they emptied their sacks, that look, the bundle of each man’s silver was in his sack! And when they and their father saw the bundles of silver, they were afraid.

36 And Ya‛aqoḇ their father said to them, “You have bereaved me – Yosĕph is no more, and Shim‛on is no more, and you would take Binyamin! All this is against me.”

37 So Re’uḇĕn spoke to his father, saying, “Take the lives of my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I myself bring him back to you.”

38 But he said, “My son is not going down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any harm should come to him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my grey hair with sorrow to the grave.” — Genesis 42 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 9:5; Genesis 11:7; Genesis 12:10; Genesis 24:25; Genesis 33:3; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 35:24; genesis 37:2; Genesis 37:6-7; Genesis 37:8; Genesis 37:26-27; Genesis 37:30; Genesis 37:33; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 40:4; Genesis 42:31-32; Genesis 42:33-34; Genesis 43:9; Genesis 43:12; Genesis 43:14-15; Genesis 43:23; Genesis 43:33; 1 Samuel 17:55; 2 Samuel 10:3; Jeremiah 31:15; Acts 7:12; Acts 42:2; Romans 12:17

Genesis 42 Chapter Summary

[craigtowens]

Links & Quotes

Some links and quotes that caught my eye this week.

My book Shepherd Leadership has five chapters dedicated to the health and wellbeing of pastoral leaders. One important principle: Only healthy shepherds can help their sheep get healthy. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel. Clinton Manley has a great post on the way the Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s life. He tells of this work in terms of an…

[ink-flavored]

📍💵🕯️🃏 for the fantasy worldbuilding ask game!

thank you! I'll answer these for my Unnamed Dream WIP

📍If your WIP does take place on Earth, where did you choose to set it? Why?

It doesn't! But I'm taking heavy inspiration from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and mmmaaybe southern India? I'm still researching and such.

💵What kinds of currency exist in your WIP? Do people use gold coins, barter and trade, or something else?

The class disparity in this WIP is a big theme and also very prevalent in the country [that has yet to be named] it takes place in. The wealthy, merchant class, and even the working class in cities and towns use more standard coins of various sizes and values, but the poorest of the poor have opted to barter. Value and items up for trade vary from region to region, and even village to village, but traditionally people will trade jewelry made of bone, wood, or cheap metals. If they can get lucky enough to sell something to someone who actually has money, they only ever really use it to buy necessities.

🕯️Do folk religions exist? Where are they practiced?

The worship of the Divine Family is almost universal in this country, but it obviously wasn't always there, and people isolated away from the big church institutions practice in ways that look a lot different from how people in the cities do it.

For one, the small towns and villages often aren't large enough to even have one specific place of worship. A cultural leader called a Speaker (usually the only one who can read or write, is trained in magic and/or medicine, and mediates conflict) will lead religious gatherings in whatever way they see fit, which can vary wildly from community to community. Some villages leave collective offerings at a communal shrine, some only keep shrines in the home, some involve a more literal sermon, just reading passages from the scripture, and others are more about making up new lessons using the scripture as interpretation. It's varied once you start getting away from the "organized" part of "organized religion."

Aside from the Divine Family stuff, there are other fantasy species in this world with their own separate religions, but I haven't figured it out yet <3

🃏Wild card! Mention anything else about your WIP that you want!

I have really enjoyed doing research about architecture for this WIP. The protagonist lives in a swamp and the country sits right on the equator of their planet, so I really needed to go look at what equatorial, swampy countries are our planet are doing for their houses. And they're so fuckin cool? I did a lot of digging about the báhay kúbo and the fact that they're built so they can be disassembled and physically carried away if necessary is such a great idea, I would have never thought of that on my own. Real life is always cooler than fiction!

[try out my 100 Question Fantasy Worldbuilding ask game]

[squeegeesprout]

the ramblings of an intriged never-mormon

mormonisim and it's history has become my hyperfixation. i cant stop researching. i think my bf is sick of me info dumping on him so i am info dumping here. to the lovely lds tbms out there, i may not say the nicest things about church history. but i have so much love and kindness and compassion for you and this has nothing to do with you. every criticism i have is with the institution, not the people. including the historical members from the inception of the church.

final disclaimer: i feel like everyone deserves to know the whole unfiltered history of a church they dedicate their lives to.

but like, the history is insane, wdym some known treasure digging scam artist who found a rock in a well and claimed he could translate gold plates? gold plates he found with his well rock? that he would put in his hat? and he would read the rock with his face in the hat? the plates supposedly contained the history of semi extinct group of native american people? who came to america from Jerusalem? of which genetic evidence continuously disproves? the vast majority of the church's truth claims do not line up with modern scientific understanding, but the higher ups refuse to acknowledge it as anything other than true fact? like a worldwide flood and 6000 year old earth? wdym said treasure digger kept claiming revelation from god that contradicted his previous scripture? that so much of the book of mormon is directly in opposition or does not mention so much significant later revelation? no temples, no higher priesthood, no crazy afterlife? and then he has a polygamy revelation, again directly against bom scripture, all so he could have 30 wives? some being 14 and some already married to other men? and he told his first wife god would smite her if she didnt agree?

and now theres like a dozen mormon sects, and the lds sect is like the richest church in the world? are they a church or a real estate empire? not to mention the required 10% of your income annually so you can have all necessary blessings? a culture that enforces missionary work missionaries have to pay to go on? they have to pay to be church salespeople? bishops being able to ask invasive questions to 8 year olds? and i know you do not have 17 million active members russel m nelson!! im fucking onto you, you yellow notepad eternal polygamist asshole. IT IS WEIRD YOU MARRIED A WOMAN YOUNGER THAN YOUR ELDEST CHILD.

but i have heard some of the nicest experiences of people from a ward level down, people banding together in struggle and having a strong sense of community. and i respect the emergency food storage practice. mormonisim has lowkey had a huge impact, more than i ever thought when i started researching this for fun. the intense cultural marks left all over the western us, idaho, wyoming, arizona, nevada, all so much mormon history. i have seen so many kind and loving lds people in the tumblr stake and you are all so amazing, please be true to yourself.

i understand my stating this may be unwelcome and unwanted, and no one may even read this, but i just wanted to put my thoughts and feelings out there. i can provide sources if anyone asks and feel free to dm if you would like.

images: anthony sweat (gazelem, a stone & nauvoo expositor destruction)

[with-a-martyr-complex]

With A Martyr Complex: Reading List 2024

Adapted from the annual list from @balioc​, a list of books (primarily audiobooks) consumed this year. This list excludes several podcasts, but includes dramatizations and college lecture series from The Great Courses, which I consume like a somewhat normal person this time around, but normally I'm a weirdo about them.

Myth in Human History by Grant L. Voth, from The Great Courses

Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

Augustine: Philosopher and Saint by Phillip Cary, from The Great Courses

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Democracy and Its Alternatives by Ethan Hollander, from The Great Courses

Sex in the Middle Ages by Usman T. Malik, from The Great Courses

The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn by Usman T. Malik

The Fellowship of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of The King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Tibet: History, Culture, Religion by Constance Kassor, from The Great Courses

Maoism: A Global History, by Julia Lovell

The Three-Problem by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu

Doppleganger: A Trip Into The Mirror World by Naomi Klein

The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu, translated by Joel Martinsen

Would You Baptise an Extraterrestrial?...and Other Questions from the Astronomers' In-Box at the Vatican Observatory by Guy Consolmagno SJ and Paul Meuller SJ

Death's End by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu

Other Minds: The Octopus, THe Sea, and The Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Ugaritic Texts: Ba'al Cycle, translated by the Scriptural Research Institute

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett

Propaganda and Persuasion by Dannagal G. Young, from The Great Courses

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

War in the Modern World by David R. Stone

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks by Scott J. Shapiro

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan by Gregory Feifer

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark

Norse Mythology by Jackson Crawford, from The Great Courses

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War by Joanne B. Freeman

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted The Heartland and Crushed The Soul of Corporate America--and How to Undo His Legacy by David Gelles

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

God against the Gods: The History of Monotheism and Polytheism by Robert Garland, from The Great Courses

Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee

A Desolation Called Peace by Akrady Martine

The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini by Benvenuto Cellini, translated by John Addington Symonds

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton

When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Broke Up in the Early 1990s by John Ganz

Anything For A Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots, and October Surprises in US Presidential Campaigns by Joseph Cummins

The Wicked and The Willing by Lianyu Tan

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

America after the Cold War: The First 30 Years by Patrick N. Allitt, from The Great Courses

The Aldo Moro Affaire by Jacopo Pezzan and Giacomo Brunoro, translated by a robot who could have done a better job quite frankly

Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union by Vladislav M. Zubok

The Shadow of The Torturer by Gene Wolf

Economics, 3rd Edition by Timothy Taylor

The Poetic Edda, translated by Jackson Crawford

Evgenii Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, translated by Mary Hobson (alternately titled Eugene Onegin)

Incomplete books: The Dragon: Fear and Power, Pilgermann, What Makes This Book So Great, Midnight's Children, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, Heaven and Hell, Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed, The Last Emperor of Mexico, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom, Emperor of Japan

---

Great Courses consumed: 7

Non-Great Courses Nonfiction consumed: 19

---

Works consumed by women: 14 or 15 (C.L. Clarke uses both they and she pronouns, counting is hard)

Works consumed by men: 35 or 36

Works consumed by men and women: 1

Works that can plausibly be considered of real relevance to foreign policy (including appropriate histories): 10

---

With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, fiction division: Perfume: The Story of A Murderer

>>>> Honorable mention: The Dark Forest, Lud-in-the Mist, The Lord of The Rings, Ninefox Gambit, The Shadow of the Torturer, She Who Became The Sun, The Broken Sword, The Wicked and The Willing, All Systems Red

With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, nonfiction division: Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union

>>>> Honorable mention: War in the Modern World, Norse Mythology, The Man Who Broke Capitalism, The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, Economics, When The Clock Broke

>>>> Great Courses Division: Tibet: History, Culture, Religion

The Annual “An Essential Work of Surpassing Beauty that Isn’t Fair to Compare To Everything Else” Award: Evgenii Onegin

>>>> Honorable mention: The Gambler

The “Reading This Book Will Give You Great Insight Into The Way I See The World” Award: The Gambler

>>>> Honorable mention: The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War

Yes, okay? It IS Good After All and I was wrong to be a Hater: The Lord of The Rings

Best "Lesbian War Crimes" Book: Ninefox Gambit

Best Lesbian: Ma Xiuying (She Who Became The Sun)

Best War Crime: Mutually Assured Destruction by Antimatter Bullets (Death's End)

---

This year I got a bit better at reading non-audiobooks, thought not as much as I had hoped, but I feel as though if I were putting more time into it the divide could be overcome. However, I also read far fewer audiobooks this year, in part due to that same promotion at work, in part due to The Election, in part due to falling into bad habits. An easy goal for next year is just working on getting out of that habit. I did manage to hit my target at the end, at least.

I took up the intellectual project of reading "Lesbian War Crimes" Science Fiction/Fantasy books, which had a pretty dramatic effect on the layout of my books for the year. Suffice to say, picking up a contemporary genre is not as Good For Me as reading from wide sources which include international literature and The Classics. Some were real hits though.

My own creative output was not as large as I wanted but it was consistently of relatively high quality and originality, which I think was good. My attempt at a novel failed out of the gate, but I can take a stab at another one in the new year.

Goals for next year: learn some econ, more literary fiction, get a novel down

[fatphobiabusters]

On the subject of fat intersectionality: I wonder if those ugly laws targeted certain other physical features in the wake of slavery being outlawed (except as the punishment for a crime).

Like a lot of policies it'll always affect poc more. Say we take "physically obviously disabled". Well a lot of freed slaves were abused to the point of physical disability.

On the Wikipedia page: People charged under the ugly laws were either charged a fine or held in jail until they could be sent to the poor house or work farm.

So just....sending the people back to (or into) slavery. Because you'll never not be disabled....

"A poorhouse could even be part of the same economic complex as a prison farm and other penal or charitable public institutions." Yeah. Not suprised. Free labor because people can't legally exist in public is very related to prisons.

I'm admittedly not very versed on the subject but once you start to make it illegal to "not look right" then it's going to feed into other biases. FFS there's still fighting over if natural textured hair is "appropriate" aka meets white standards of professionalism. Who sets the standards of professionalism or beauty? We know who.

Sorry this is rambly but these laws are ableist, fatphobic, racist, classiest and predecated on the guilt well to do Christians felt:

"The Charity Organization Society suggested that the best charity relief would be to investigate and counsel the people needing assistance instead of provide them with material relief.[4] This created conflict in people between their desire to be good Christians and good citizens when seeing people in need of assistance. It was suggested that the beggars imposed guilt upon people in this way.[3]: 37  "Pauperism is a disease upon the community, a sore upon the body politic, and being a disease, it must be, as far as possible, removed, and the curative purpose must be behind all our thought and effort for the pauper class."[4] Similar to what Slocum said, other authors suggested that giving charity to beggars without knowing what was to be done with the funds, was as "culpable as one who fires a gun into a crowd".[5]"

"Charity must "do what it can to check the spreading curse of race degeneration". People involved with charitable policy suggested that while euthanasia would be a release for the person struggling with their disabilities, it also went against the moral principles taught by religion"

Christians my ass. Mother fuckers can't even read their own scripture. But I digress. The point being it was guilt over seeing "less fortunate" that started this whole mess from the sounds of it.

It should also be noted that mentally disabled were included. Not everytime but they were. Also the Wikipedia has issues of course but these are my thoughts as is. If we happen to have a follower who researched Ugly laws, please chime in.