#Let my body be imbued with the essence of Accord

[bioswear]

I’m sick with excitement

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I have seen many, MANY discussions/debates about ca:cw and I have never seen anyone mentioning that Rhodey's injury was a metaphor. How did you get that idea?

Short answer: I’ve actually read a lot on the subject.  I’m teaching a media studies class right now called “What Can Superheroes Tell Us About Psychology?” (because that’s the kind of shit you can get away with at giant universities) and hoo boy are superhero narratives More Ableist Than Average.  Anywhoo, a few of those readings:

I’m quoting hard from the chapter “Hyper-Normative Heroes, Othered Villains: Differential Treatment of Disability in Marvel” in a book on disability studies because it’s free.  A relevant passage:

“These metaphorical portrayals all fail to engage with disability as a social category and as an individual identity, thereby ignoring its context… Nick Fury’s missing eye does not change his aim with distance weapons (e.g. Captain Marvel) or piloting software. Instead, it recurs in the films largely in metaphorical lines such as Fury’s commenting on the death of a friend with ‘I just lost my one good eye’… One character in Avengers even questions the lack of accessibility in Fury’s multi-monitor computer console, and Fury’s assistant simply answers that he must turn his head more often to compensate. The franchise thereby emphasizes that Fury’s missing eye is only a metaphor for his discernment and ability to see details that others have missed, rather than a truly integrated part of his character or even an accurate portrayal of that disability.

“8. This treatment of disability as metaphor persists throughout the MCU. In Captain America: Civil War, superhero War Machine incurs a permanent spinal injury while fighting on behalf of his best friend Iron Man. Later on, rival superhero Hawkeye… ‘You gotta watch your back with this guy. There’s a chance he’s gonna break it.’ The film then equips War Machine with a fantastical prosthesis that essentially nullifies his disabled experience through giving him the same range of motion as his non-disabled [abled] teammates, entirely without side effects or need for maintenance. The MCU films thus present disability as a metaphor for inner morality and characterization. War Machine has few experiences of being a disabled man through his spinal injury, but is instead emotionally ‘disabled’ by the damage to his social standing he has incurred through his friendship with Iron Man… The MCU thereby offers no critique of ableism or inaccessibility, instead continuing to localize disability as a problem with the body and the individual.”

Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond by José Alaniz is also a fantastic resource, and you can buy it for money here or hopefully find it at a library if you have no money.  A few of the relevant points from his book:

Superhero stories often treat disability as a “problem” that must be “solved” through in essence nullifying the disabled experience of the character(s) through superpowers that run directly counter to the disabilities and/or fantasy “cures,” e.g.

Daredevil is blind BUT navigates the world in a way similar to sighted people due to his “radar sense,” meaning that he doesn’t get to have a lot of the lived experiences of blind individuals

Don Blake is mobility impaired and uses a cane BUT his cane transforms into mjolnir and imbues him with the power of Thor, meaning that he spends most of the story moving like a nondisabled person

Hawkeye is hard of hearing sometimes in some of the comics, BUT he often gets magical cochlear implants from Tony Stark that cause him to stop being hard of hearing

Characters that are disabled and remain disabled tend to be villains whose villainy is either implied or stated to come directly from their bitterness over being disabled, e.g.

Doctor Doom hates that he’s scarred by an explosion so much that he wants to take over the world to get revenge on the Fantastic Four

The Lizard only transforms himself because he ignores all scientific and ethical boundaries in his desperation to stop being disabled

Doctor Poison is described by herself and other characters as a “monster” for failing to (unlike Wonder Woman) conform to White Western conceptualizations of female beauty 

Characters like The Thing, She-Hulk, and Bizarro have the potential for some really interesting disability narratives.  However, the same publication pressures that prevent permanent injury or death to the characters also prevent the inclusion of “serious” “real-world” issues like discrimination unless it’s metaphorical (e.g. anti-mutant fearmongering as a metaphor for anti-AIDS prejudice).

The Big Damn Foundational Text on the intersection of disability studies and media studies is Narrative Prosthesis: Disability and the Dependencies of Discourse by David T. Mitchell and Sharon L. Snyder, and you can pay money for it here but it’s also available at a lot of libraries.  Anyway, a couple of relevant points from that book include: 

Disability portrayals abound in literature going back to pretty much the dawn of history, but most of those portrayals suck ass because:

Most disabilities are treated as metaphors rather than demographic characteristics, which means that the disabled character doesn’t get connected to other people with disabilities (including those in the real world) and offers no commentary on ableism — if Richard III’s spinal misalignment is just a metaphor for him being “twisted” inside, it doesn’t allow readers with spinal misalignment to identify with him

Disabled characters tend to exist to teach lessons to nondisabled characters rather than having their own journeys — Tiny Tim isn’t a person in A Christmas Carol, he’s an object lesson for Scrooge

Many disabled characters either get “fixed” so that they look outwardly “normal,” or their “ugliness” is used to make concrete the abstract “ugliness” of their personalities

Disability is treated as a “problem” that demands an explanation – Captain Ahab’s prosthetic leg and Joker’s facial scarring are treated as automatically demanding the question “why are you like this?,” even though no one would ever ask the same thing of their nondisabled co-characters

Authors’ implicit ableism tends to come out in their horror of disability, such as when they portray disabled characters preferring death to disability, going to extreme lengths to avoid or nullify disability, and/or declaring themselves “worthless” or “burdensome” in light of disability

Discomfort with disability — another form of implicit ableism – also comes out when disabled characters are overwhelmingly “killed or cured,” meaning that they don’t get to end their stories as living individuals who are still, in practice, disabled

ANYWAY, that’s a long-winded way of saying that I also haven’t seen any critics specifically talk about Rhodey’s disability as a metaphor first and a part of the character second, but that that doesn’t mean the shoe don’t fit.  When someone asks about the Accords in Infinity War, Rhodey also says he supported them but then “I’m pretty sure I paid for that,” and gestures at his own paralyzed legs.  He also also says in Endgame “I wasn’t always like this… but we work with what we’ve got” when talking to Nebula, BOTH about the fact that he’s disabled and about the fact that half the universe is dead and they’re all struggling to cope with that fact.  It keeps getting used as a metaphor and keeps NOT getting used as a part of his identity.  LET THE MAN TALK TO SOME OTHER DISABLED VETERANS FOR TWO SECONDS, FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

A couple of other (free!) readings that talk about that general problem of “we love superheroes and we hate ableism, now what?” even if they don’t mention Rhodey specifically: 

“Reevaluating the Supercrip” by Sami Schalk connects media portrayals of the paralympics to media portrayals of Captain America and the Doom Patrol.  (I swear to god it makes sense in context.)

“Seven Roads to Justice for Superheroes and Humans” by Mikhail Lyubansky gets into the glaring (for me, anyway) question of “why the fuck are sci fi psychologists all so evil and useless?” by explaining why Harley Quinn must be evil for Batman to be a vigilante.

“Superhero Comics as Moral Pornography” by David A. Pizarro and Roy Baumeister (again, I swear it makes sense if you read it) discusses the evolutionary tendency to judge people based on disabilities and why it’s so popular in superhero stories specifically.

Anyway, you probably weren’t looking for an entire annotated bibliography in response to that question, but I’ve never been one to use five words when 500 would suffice.

[silyabeeodess]

AHIT Headcanons: Subcon and Spirits

Since I’m hitting pause on “The Firelands” for just a bit and haven’t come up with enough plot ideas to dump a bunch more stories into “Tales of the Fire Spirits” at once, I’m doing this to organize my thoughts for the overarching stories I may cover in the future.  I’ve been getting tons of questions on FFN on the way the world in these fanfics work, so I figured this would be a good way to try to tie off some things in a neat bow for me to reference later and in case I don’t get the chance to cover them in the future.  With the inclusion of things such as Moonjumper’s character or the fire spirits, which were either cut content or we don’t have much background info on, I might make a few adjustments or more original expansions; however, I will try to do so keeping as close to canon as I can or with historical/folklore references in mind.  I might not cover all that I do in the fics, but if you’re interested, please check it out below:

Spirits and the Spiritual Plane

The world of AHIT has multiple planes of reality, the two which merge/overlap the most being the physical and spiritual realms.  The physical realm covers the world at large which mortals live in and engage with.  For the spirits, it’s vice-versa.  However, a lot of spirits live at points at which these two realms crossover and can even allow mortals to step over that line from these locations.  

Spirits found at these points often have strong ties to the physical world as well, such as the elementals.  They use their magic to bend the physical plane at these locations to create an ideal environment for them to thrive in (ex. The fire spirits have the Firelands).  The forces used to manifest them create reality-bending whirlpools of spiritual magic that also keep them hidden from mortals. So, while a mortal may see indicators of where their borders start, they can’t actually tell where they’re going upon entry and will just loop back out.  This also works in reverse if a spirit takes a mortal to their domain and doesn’t want them to leave.  Only mortals “marked” by the spirits or those with special tools/abilities can freely pass through these barriers on their own.

There are several of these points scattered throughout the world and they’re all different depending on the spirits who reside in them.  They can also shift if the spirits need to adjust their territories for any reason (rare, but not impossible when strong magic is involved).  Subcon has the most out of any location on the planet thanks to the forest possessing an incredibly high concentration of magic, which attracts a lot of spirits--and only increases the area’s spiritual forces even more.

The Horizon is a unique place out of all of these points, existing closest to the actual spiritual realm, but still accessible in the physical world through magical waypoints/objects.

Overall, a mortal being can typically only fight back against them when they possess spiritual magic.  This is common for ghosts, to varying degrees, but the people of Subcon in general were born with some concentration of it, the land itself infusing them with that power.  Not to say that they always access it or even always can, but it’s there.  This phenomena can also occur for individuals who face prolonged exposure (in years) to spiritual magic.  

All spirits have their own ways of life, so no two species are alike and many rival with each other.  All they really have in common is a stubbornness that their ways are the best.  While some species are friendly to mortals and have good intentions, it doesn’t always mean that they’ll do the right thing--or even understand what the right thing is--either due to having a vastly different perspective on life and varying degrees of sentience.

Subcon History/Culture

Living alongside the spirits for as long as anyone can remember, much of Subcon’s ways are steeped in tradition and folklore.  Long before Vanessa and her prince were even born, the people of Subcon worked together with the spirits to help the forest thrive and protect it from malevolent forces.  As such, the spirits who resided there often openly travelled through the village(s) or lived with humans.  The royal families not only led their people, but helped lead the spirits as well so that everyone could prosper.  There was some feuds and rivalries always existed, but things were good.  As generations passed and increased trade outside of Subcon opened up a new world for the humans, however, those ties began to slowly sever and traditions ebb away.

The masks the people of Subcon wore were a way of protecting children from the spirits.  Based on the spirits themselves, it was believed that they could frighten them off or confuse them into thinking that the children were other spirits.  They were also often imbued with a bit of spiritual power to help them see and interact with things they normally couldn’t in the physical world.  Some other areas outside of Subcon had the same tradition, and many of the Dwellers still wear them as both a way to honor their past and against the chance of evil spirits still pursuing them in death.  Masquerade balls and similar celebrations were also popular.

A mortal with a high spiritual power--be it from birth or from being affected by a spirit’s magic--stands at the risk of effectively becoming spirits themselves.  Some might die prior to this process, but it’s more like a transformation.  As such, those people remain trapped in the physical world until they either A.) move on, like a normal, lost soul, or B.) are killed in a fashion similar to the spirits.  This process occurs when the spiritual power inside a person consumes them, be it by conscious choice, overusing their magic, or if more magic than their physical bodies could handle tore them apart from the inside out.   

The people of Subcon were often raised with the idea to be kind, but wary around each of the spirits: To treat them well and remain polite, but never let themselves be taken advantage of or led into dangerous places.  They were also quick to warn travelers of the same, those who failed to do so often having to deal with the spirits themselves according to the latter’s own view of propriety/justice.

Most of the powerful spirits are also prideful and hard in their ways.  It was difficult for the royal families to work with them at times and ambassadors were needed.  The ones they struggled with the most were the swamp spirits, who would at some point isolate a part of Subcon for themselves and take vengeance against anyone who trespassed there.

For a while, Subcon actually had multiple rulers as it covered a wide terrain that was often also cut apart by the spirits’ territories. Everyone was really hopeful when the prince and Vanessa got together, as they believed it meant that all of Subcon would unite and lead to a golden era. They loved them and how they truly would meet their subjects on-level, especially the prince, so they thought the two would bring some of Subcon’s glory days back in full-swing.

When Vanessa’s cursed ice storm hit, it devastated all of Subcon.  Not only did it kill most of the Dwellers, it also ripped apart a lot of the spirits’ territories--immediately severing ties with pretty much all of them.  The only thing that kept most of the spirits’ wrath at bay was her own people being killed in the process.  

This, however, came with its own dangers.  That large amount of devastation and death all at once, fueled further by the cursed magic, lingering souls, and all of the negative emotions they carry with them, created a dark miasma that blanketed over Subcon. This miasma constantly attracts wicked spirits who want that power for themselves--and to claim a few souls along the way.  It’s caused a massive power struggle, with even some of the spirits who already lived in the forest eventually fighting to expand for the sake of their lost territories. Without Snatcher, most of the Dwellers would be at the mercy of those spirits.  

Snatcher and Moonjumper

Rather than take the spirit vs. body route, I’d like to treat them as two halves of the same soul forcibly cleaved apart.  (We see both Vanessa’s and her prince’s bodies alter in their storybook, so parts of their deaths and missing corpses I’m chalking up to the spiritual magic already present inside them messing with their physical selves.)  In essence, after the prince--finally decided on a name for him, Alistair--died, his soul carved itself apart as a means of survival from his broken state of mind.  Not only did he still carry the grief and confusion over what happened with Vanessa, but also a massive sense of guilt for what happened to the people of Subcon.  One part of him fought to retain his own innocence and the person he was prior to these events: One part of him loathed himself and wanted to strip all of that away, cursing his choices and blaming himself for Subcon’s destruction.  Thus, two beings were born from the prince, each getting their wish: Moonjumper forgot about Vanessa and what happened between them, disappearing into the Horizon, while Snatcher hardened himself and chose to become someone new, someone powerful and viscous enough to never let anything like that happen to him or his kingdom again.  

While both of them are strong enough to manifest in a more human/humanoid form, they each gave up on it as a side effect of the split.  Snatcher took the physical shape of the shadowy horror he wanted to be so people wouldn’t know he was the prince while Moonjumper actually kept some pieces of his old belongings: The monocle and mask.  The mask was originally a normal, venetian half-moon mask that he would’ve worn for celebrations/traditions as the prince, but it’s now meshed with his ghost form.  It doesn’t make expressions, but has basically taken over his whole head.  While it can be removed, he’ll go into a full-blown rage if it’s taken without his consent.  Removing it will force him to shapeshift his face back to normal.  Snatcher is the better shapeshifter, but his current form is also dictated by his forced persona.

To the Dwellers and minions, Snatcher is just another spirit that showed up one day and took things over.  Some of them might be suspicious, but no one would dare ask and he’s not going to tell them.  There are different rumors (about the prince being killed and just not returning as a ghost, that Vanessa still has the prince somewhere in her manor, or that the prince fled Subcon like his parents did when the storm spread to their place), but a handful of them believe--and Snatcher thinks they all believe--that the prince abandoned them when they needed him most or that he wasn’t strong enough to stand against Vanessa, ice powers or no.  It’s not a fair judgement, but it’s still there--especially for souls like the florist, who hold a personal grudge.  

Snatcher doesn’t actually eat souls, but he can capture them.  It’s more of a threat he just built around his reputation.  The souls he captures are either forced to work for him or are imprisoned, sometimes used in experiments or for weapons like the cherry bombs.  The contracts he makes people sign make it easier for him to bind others’ souls to him, but it also serves a double-purpose: It forces him to keep all relationships strictly to business, as just something on paper rather than anything meaningful. 

By the point of the game and outside of his concern for his subjects, Snatcher’s bought his own line completely.  He really is terrible and wholly devoted to the “evil spirit” charade he’s been putting on for years.  Part of it too though is that, as a ghost, his sense of mortality has shifted.  He and everyone around him is already dead, so killing people really doesn’t hold that much weight to him anymore because “hey, I can just take their soul, so it’s not like they’re gone for good.”  He just knows it still matters to the living and he can lord that over them.  Hat Kid’s gonna break him out of that a bit, but not by much at a time and he’ll always be a grump.

Can’t talk about Moonjumper without the Horizon, so here goes: The place still acts as a kind of limbo, but it’s fabricated as a place of spiritual healing. It’s a place for mortal souls to go to clear off whatever baggage they’re still carrying before moving on to the afterlife and spirits like it too.  Some, in fact, never leave--by choice or otherwise.  A goat found one of the entrances thanks to the Twilight Bell, and since then he and his descendants have taken the roles of healers and beings of spiritual enlightenment upon death, with a part of the realm “ruled” by themselves.  Moonjumper’s still the main ruler though, able to exude the most power over the Horizon and distort its reality.  Overall though, he’s isolated himself in his own section of it to fabricate an area that somewhat resembles past-Subcon.  And his method of healing... isn’t the best.  You know how some say “ignorance is bliss?” A part of him took that to heart, so one of the ways he uses his strings is to rewrite memories.  This overwrite makes it so that a soul can’t move on, as whatever was actually affecting them never truly got healed and is just contained somewhere inside them, so he usually then takes them in as a content subject.

Early on, Moonjumper came back to the real Subcon a handful of times in secret, because there’s still a small part of him that does want to move forward and misses everything.  Nevertheless, all this really did was attract a few dissenters from the Dwellers, ones that saw him and immediately believed he was “the prince” (even if they don’t know the full story).  They followed him back to the Horizon, hoping to get answers or to convince him to stay in Subcon, but he wouldn’t listen. Having shut out the worst of his memories, he refuses to listen to anyone that tries to destroy the new “reality” he’s created.  Anyone who pushes it to his breaking point end up facing the full-force of his strings, possessed so that they’re made to play a role in his delusion.  In effect, those Dwellers who followed him had their memories of the real Subcon wiped and think that they’re home.  Trying to break free from their part not only “physically” hurts them thanks to the strings, but amplifies the emotions tied to their repressed memories.  

Sometimes he’ll also try to fill “gaps” among his subjects. If he feels like something’s missing and someone shows up to the Horizon who can fit that role, he’ll try to coerce or use his strings on them to get them to stay.

The goats know he’s messed up in the head, but they also don’t think he’s a bad person. Outside of his outbursts, he really does try to be a kind, just leader: They just know that his “good intentions” are also coming from a place of selfishness and are hurting people.  And the one thing they don’t know is how to fix him when he’s constantly rejecting help.  So they tend to keep back and focus their energy on looking after anyone else who enters the Horizon, hoping one day he’ll come to his senses enough to let himself heal. 

Vanessa

Vanessa is still her old, insane self as in the game.  The idea behind her past though is that--while the prince was actually raised to be a good, responsible ruler--Vanessa was raised by strict parents who expected her more to play a part and spoiled her rotten.  They wanted her to be a perfect, little princess, so they gave her everything she wanted while simultaneously drilling this idea in her head of the life she was expected to have.  It ended up taking things too far, as Vanessa’s ideas of what a princess should be ended up relying almost completely on stories and fairytales, and with her life pretty much getting handed to her at every stop, she fully accepted that those fairytales would be her reality.  Anything that broke the illusion didn’t belong, and she had a habit of immediately lashing out when things didn’t go the way she wanted them to.  When things were “perfect,” she was perfect--and it was what most of the villagers saw.  When things didn’t go right, well... 

When Vanessa’s magic took over her, she became something similar to a yuki-onna (snow woman).  As such, she shares the strengths and weaknesses of them, such as freezing her victims and taking their lifeforce.  The main, notable difference is that heat doesn’t affect her as much as it would a common yuki-onna, alluding to her incredibly strong magic and former humanity. 

The servants and guards who catered to Vanessa were groomed specifically to follow her whims, loyalty to the crown always standing over loyalty to the people or their own ideals.  These souls--even those killed by Vanessa’s storm--would later possess the statues in Subcon.  Most of them are headless for two reasons: So they can’t spy on Snatcher and his minions and because his minions are pretty angry over how “mindless” those souls behave, so they lopped their heads off. They mostly get by with their hearing and a sixth sense that allows them to feel the environment around them.  They continue to serve Vanessa, whether by still acting as guards/soldiers or obtaining anything she desires from the outside world.  

The Florist

Because I brought her up once already and now I feel obligated.  So, prior to the storybook events, she was just another, normal citizen.  She supported the prince and princess and wanted to see the kingdom thrive under their care.  However, after the prince was locked away, Vanessa also wanted to take revenge on the woman who “stole him from her.”  That same evening, she sent guards to kill the florist in secret. They dragged her off to the swamp and drowned her, hoping to pin her death on the swamp spirits.

Unfortunately for the guards, the swamp spirits also have their own watchmen and they were killed immediately after for trespassing.  When they found the woman’s body, they could tell her soul was still clinging on. She desperately wanted to know what happened and why.  It’s not the first time something like that had happened, so they just waited for her soul to do whatever it would and imprisoned her (also as a trespasser), breaking the news that villagers had been slaughtered not long after her with the swamp spirits believing both royal families had abandoned their people.  It left her a furious, vengeful spirit, hateful toward both the princess for the massacre and the prince for seemingly doing nothing to stop it. 

For years, she’d remain the swamp spirit’s prisoner; however, she’d eventually fall on good enough terms with them to rise in their ranks and become something of a jailor herself.  She hardly ever comes to the surface, staying in the depths of their realm, but often takes control over any other lost souls that find themselves there.  She has to remain strict and judges fairly, but she’s also treats them better than the swamp spirits would without her around.  

Common Spirits in Subcon

Fire Spirits: 

These always take the form of a fox and are some of the more animalistic of the spirits, relying heavily on instinct.  The older these spirits get, however, the more they learn human language and behaviors in order to interact with mortals.  In past-Subcon, they freely roamed and engaged with the villagers, sometimes as tricksters and sometimes helping them out.  (The background for them takes a combination of lore behind kitsune, phoenixes, will-o-wisps, and brownies.)   

Throughout their lifespans, these spirits build up a constantly burning fire that makes up their core.  When they’re effectively ready to burst, they conduct a ritual by building up a massive flame and dancing around it (possibly for days at a time) in hopes of combusting so they can revive anew.  The barriers they create are there to protect them as the ritual takes place, the elders undergoing it unable to stop once it’s begun while the young find materials (hopefully, full of living energy) to burn.  A successful ritual gives the spirits enough energy upon combustion to be reborn back in their own territory and possibly duplicate. 

Older spirits have a strong magic and physical body, but the younger ones (especially newborns) are incredibly weak.  They need constant sustenance to grow healthy and can be snuffed out easily.  If they’re snuffed out in this weakened state, they won’t be reborn.  However, if one is killed at an older stage, there’s still a chance for them to come back--albeit, they’ll be ever weaker than normal and struggle through rebirth.    

Swamp Spirits:

Swamp spirits can appear graceful or even beautiful in their own domain, but look fairly grotesque on dry land. They’re a kind of fish-people and are the most humanlike out of the spirits in Subcon.  They also have the longest running feud between the Dwellers and other spirits, keeping themselves isolated in their underwater realm and taking a long while to get used to outsiders.  

After Vanessa’s storm hit they tried to expand their swamp, knowing that other spirits would soon prey upon Subcon anyway if they didn’t and wanting to strengthen their territories before that happened.  They got fairly far until Snatcher pushed them back, almost to their original boundaries. 

All surface-dwellers are just ‘Dwellers’ to them: It doesn’t matter if they’re from Subcon or not.  It takes a lot for a dweller to earn their respect and most them are quick to judge. The best way to get on their good side quickly is to appeal to their ego without demeaning yourself in the process.    

Spider Spirits:

(based on Tsuchigumos and Jorogumos) While the giant spiders in Subcon and the Alpine Skylines are just that, it can be assured that there’s at least one spirit commanding them, waiting back at their nests.  These are particularly ruthless and wait for hapless victims to fall into hands, although they’re more interested in the living than mortal souls.  

Giant Skeletons:

(based on Gashadokuros) These rare, but dangerous spirits were attracted to the dark miasma clinging to Subcon and cause havoc for every being wherever they go.  While virtually brainless, they feed on negative forces left from the dead.  Snatcher was strong enough to take out several, and their remains are scattered throughout the forest in a dormant state until all of that energy eventually burns out of them.  

Lightning Sprites:

Sprites aren’t typically seen in the mortal realm, but these give off such a powerful glow that they can be found relatively easily--not in their own forms, but by the element they’re associated with. In the sky or in stormy weather, they can appear as the natural ‘sprite’ phenomena, but around land--specifically around areas that produce high amounts of electricity and/or have things such as powerlines--they have a yellow glow.  You can’t really spot them in any way beyond an electric current and their high-pitched noises, and while harmless overall beyond the occasional bit of mischief, they can certainly give you quiet a shock.    

(There are others, not to mention vengeful souls, but that’s all I got so far.  Might update later as more comes to mind.)

[thedevilsgrimoire-blog]

The Devil’s Grimoire Text 14: THE RITE OF EVOKING THE DEMON

The Initiate shall stand before the Black Altar (an extra candle should be on the Altar, red in colour, to represent the Demon being Evoked) and then recites the following:

“Here within the sacrosanct Dominion Of Shadows and by the power of my Lord the Devil, the Infernal Master Satan  -I-   I prepare to Call forth the Grand Demon (Name Demon) to join  with me in this Unholy Dominion and to aid me in my Infernal Workings  -I-  that my most fervent desires be made manifest upon the sphere of flesh!”

The Practitioner should now light the Candle of Evocation upon the Altar saying:

“I ignite this flame in honour of the Grand Demon (Name Demon)  -I-  and as a symbol of the Black Flame of the Infernal . . . that it may be as a beacon of Summoning  -I-  calling forth this Grand Infernal Spirit from the dark spheres of Hell  -I-  and that here it may empower the Workings I undertake with its ineffable Demonic power!"

The Initiate must now meditate upon the Black Mirror which resides at the centre of the Altar and visualize an Infernal Doorway gestating within the darkness of its surface  -I- they shall see the surface of the Mirror start becoming filled with gray mists which at times partly obscure the Infernal Gateway  -I-  from within the deepest subconscious the Initiate shall call the name of the Demon being Evoked recognizing that the doorway gestating in the Black Mirror also manifests upon the vistas of the subconscious mind  -I-  Through the swirling mists of the Black Mirror let the Demon be visualized emerging from the Infernal Doorway within its surface  -I-  a slowly manifesting figure partly visible through the veils of morphing mist . . . when the Initiate is ready they should intone the following words:

“Come forth Grand Demon (Name Demon)  -I-  journey forth from the stygian realms of Hell  -I-  traverse the Gates of the Infernal . . . journey upon the darkened wings of night to join me here  -I-  in this the Dominion of Shadows  -I- may your power aid my darkened Rites  -I-  imbue me with your Demonic current  -I-  carry forth the seeds of my desires  -I-  my aspirations  -I-  that they may be sewn upon the embryonic fabric of the spheres of creation that reside within the glorious realms of Hell  -I-   and be made manifest from the creative force of the Black Womb of Lilith  -I-  that here they may gestate through my will and your own Unholy Power  -I-  becoming manifest upon the domain of Earth  -I-  the Dominion of Flesh  -I-  by the power of Our Infernal Father Diabolus  -I-  Satan, who is true Master of this World  -I-  may our allegiance be forged and my desires gestated in accordance with my will  -I-  Manifestum In Nomine Diabolus!"

The Initiate must now Meditate upon the desired objective the Working is being held for  -I-  and upon the Demon summoned to aid in the obtaining of this objective  -I-  let the Demon be visualized as emerging from the Infernal Gateway of the subconscious and become present with the Initiate within the Dominion of Shadows  -I-  placing their hand of power upon the Satanic Pentacle and letting its energy flow through them the Initiate should recite the following words:

“By the rising smoke of the Incense  -I-  by the burning flame of the Candle awakened in your Honour  -I-  by the essence of my being   -I-  the blood of my veins  -I-  manifest yourself (Name Demon)  -I-  here within the Infernal Realm of the Dominion Of Shadows!"

The Initiate must now recite the appropriate Demonic Evocation corresponding to the Demon that has been Evoked  -I-  and once they have done so they shall return the parchment on which it is written to the Altar  -I-  the Evocation is then folded and sealed with wax from the Candle of Evocation  -I-  following this the Initiate should recite the following:

“Sealed by the power of the Devil and the Grand Demon (Name Demon)  -I-   Consecrated by their Unholy energy  -I-  the seeds of my desire have been sewn upon the dark realms of creation which lie at the core of Hell  -I-   shall be nurtured in the Black Womb of Lilith . . . and shall gestate there before manifesting their intention here within the realm of mortals by the Unholy current of Our Lord Satan!"

The Initiate will now place the parchment in a black pouch and upon later completing this Working, the remains of the Candle of Evocation shall be added to the pouch  -I-  this shall then be kept by the Initiate in a safe place and empowered at a later date if need be by the Initiate  -I- in closing the Initiate stands before the Black Altar and issues the closing words of the Rite:

“My honour, gratitude and eternal allegiance are given to the Grand Demon (Demon Name) . . . Mighty Spirit of the Infernal Legion . . . ever shall I be your ally and devoted Acolyte . . . ever is my body ready as a vessel of your will . . . my mind a Gateway to your wisdom . . . my flesh a conduit for your pleasure . . . journey back to the dark realms of the Kingdom of Shadows . . . where your place in our Infernal Lord’s echelon is forever reserved . . . may our union and Kinship be eternal upon all realms and as strong as it has been this night . . . Ave (Demon Name) . . . Ave Satanas!”

© August2017 Brother Scriniarii

Source of Image ~ Unknown

[diabolus-est-nuntius-blog]

The Rite Of Demonic Evocation Taken From The Black Key

Let the Practitioner stand before the Altar (an extra candle should be on the Altar, red in colour, to represent the Demon being Evoked) and recite the following:

“Here within the sacrosanct Dominion Of Union and by the power of my true Lord Satan . . . I prepare to Call forth the Grand Demon (Demon Name) to Commune with me in this realm apart and to aid me in my Dark Magickal Workings . . . that my most fervent desires be made manifest upon the sphere of flesh!”

The Practitioner should now light the Candle of Evocation upon the Altar saying:

“I ignite this flame in honour of the Grand Demon (Demon Name) . . . and as a symbol of the Black Flame of the Infernal . . . that it may be as a beacon of Darklight summoning forth this Infernal Spirit from the realm of the Kingdom of Hell . . . that it may lend its ineffable Infernal energy to my workings here this night and empower them with the very force of Hell!”

The Practitioner must now meditate upon the Black Mirror upon the Altar visualising an Infernal Doorway of darker energy manifesting within its blackened surface, let them see the surface of the Mirror start to be permeated by swirling grey mists which at times partly obscure the inviting Infernal Gateway. From within the deepest subconscious let them call the name of the Demon recognising that the doorway gestating in the Mirror also manifests upon the subconscious of their own mind. Through the swirling mists of the Black Mirror they visualise the Demon being summoned emerge from within that Infernal Doorway, its slowly manifesting figure partly visible through the veils of drifting vapour . . . let the Initiate when ready recite the following:

“Come forth Grand Demon (Demon Name) . . . journey forth from the Abyssian spheres of Hell . . . traverse the Gates of the Infernal . . . journey upon the darkened wings of night to join me here in this Dominion of Union that your power may aid my darkened Rites . . . imbue me with your Demonic current . . . carry forth the seeds of my desire . . . my aspirations . . . that they may be sewn upon the embryonic fabric of your blessed sphere . . . be made manifest from the creative current of the Black Womb of Lilith . . . that here they may gestate through my will and your own Unholy Power . . . becoming manifest upon the domain of Earth . . . the Dominion of Flesh . . . by the power of Our Infernal Father Satan . . . He who is true Master of this World . . . may our allegiance be forged and my desires gestated in accordance with my will . . . Ave (Demon Name)! . . . Ave Satanas!”

The Initiate will now Meditate upon the Sigil of the Demon which should have been prepared and Consecrated on Parchment, allowing its image to burn into the eyes and upon the inner eye of the mind.  

Let the Practitioner then close their eyes allowing the Sigil to burn within the darkness of their mind while they summon the Demon’s Name silently from within, following this the Practitioner should recite the following:

“By the rising smoke of the Incense . . . by the flame of the Candle ignited in your Name . . . by the essence of my being . . . the blood of my veins . . . manifest yourself (Demon Name) . . . here within the Infernal Realm of the Dominion Of Union!”

The Initiate must now recite the appropriate Demonic Evocation being used and once they have done so return the parchment on which it is written to the Altar. The Evocation is then folded with the Sigil inside it and then sealed with  wax from the Candle of Evocation, at this point the Initiate shall recite the following:

“Sealed by the power of Our Lord the Satan and the Grand Demon (Demon Name) . . . Consecrated in their Unholy energy . . . the seeds of my desire have been sewn upon the dark realms of creation, shall be nurtured in the Black Womb of Lilith . . . and shall gestate there before manifesting their intention here within the realm of mortals!"

The Initiate will now place the parchment in a black pouch and upon later completing this Working, the remains of the Candle of Evocation shall be added to the pouch, this shall then be kept by the Initiate in a safe place and empowered at a later date if need be by the Practitioner of the Black Arts. Now let the Initiate stand before the Altar and issue the 'Declaration of Release' by reciting:

“My honour, gratitude and eternal allegiance I offer to the Grand Demon (Demon Name) . . . Mighty Spirit of the Infernal Legion . . . ever shall I be your ally and devoted Acolyte . . . ever is my body ready as a vessel of your will . . . my mind a Gateway to your wisdom . . . my flesh a conduit for your pleasure . . . journey back to the dark realms of the Kingdom of Shadows . . . where your place in our Infernal Lord’s echelon is forever reserved . . . may our union and Kinship be eternal upon all realms and as strong as it has been this night . . . Ave (Demon Name) . . . Ave Satanas!” 

From the Grimoire The Black Key penned by Father Dominus Est Nuntius

[flirtmoji-blog]

The earth is our lover.

This past week President Trump tragically began the process of pulling the U.S out of the Paris Climate Accord. Although this is just one in a series of devastating decisions made by Trump, this one in particular wounds our hopes for a sustainable future for humanity.

We want to add our voice to those artists decrying this action as inhumane, disgraceful, and wildly reckless. At Flirtmoji, we believe it’s important to focus that frustration into art. So today, we’re excited launch a new Friends X Flirtmoji pack that celebrates the connection between sex and the environment. The Ecosex pack is a collaboration with artists and activists Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens.

While the term ecosex was floating around for a few years, Stephens & Sprinkle launched the new identity concept into an international movement with their Ecosex Manifesto. The Ecosex movement has since become an epic multimedia project aiming to shift our perspective from earth as mother to earth as lover. Through exploring the sensuality of our human experience within the miraculous natural world, Ecosexuals seek connection and collaboration with our planet. Most importantly, ecosexuality celebrates our role not only as Earth’s citizens, admirers, protectors, but also as an inseparable part of the planet.

(Grab the Flirtmoji Ecosex pack for *free* in the Friends X Flirtmoji section of our Web Packs Shop.)

When we first started drawing this pack, we had a tendency to come up with concepts that were sort of hippie-ish, fixated on the cultural language of tree-hugging and flower-power. This revealed the limitations on our imagination and language when it comes to visualizing our sacred and sensual relationship with nature.

(Early Ecosex sketches.)

Annie and Beth, who have been exploring these concepts for years, had some great suggestions. Annie wrote to us about imbuing our Ecosex art with a literal fetishization of nature. She advocated for a more radical and punkrock celebration nature’s cosmic and cellular freakiness. Less tree-hugger, and more plant-a-tree-in-the-bottom-my-soul-and-let-me-bloom-forth-into-lush-connection-with-lover-earth. If you’ve ever got dirt under your fingernails while fucking in a garden, or masturbated in the sunshine by a creek while trout nibble your toes, or just got a warm tingle in your loins after witnessing a shooting star, you know what we’re talking about.

Since basically forever, poetry and the arts have used nature as a metaphor for the human condition. We’re proud to continue that tradition by creating a series of naturally sexual Flirtmojis that can be used to describe orgasms (hello, Volcano!), body parts (geode Dick!), and sensuality (drippy sunset vulva). We also took some inspiration from Annie & Beth’s new book The Explorer’s Guide to Planet Orgasm: for Every Body. The book takes you on a whimsical, space-themed journey through orgasms. The illustrations by Yu Dori are beautiful and arousing, and we were excited to to translate a few of them into Flirtmojis for the Ecosex pack. Namely, Yu Dori’s Orgasmanaut clit-rider is one of our new favorite Flirtmojis. We just had to draw a Cock Maverick to keep Orgasmanaut company.

Flirtmoji has always appreciated a more primal representation of nature and the animal kingdom. Much of the inspiration for our Wild Style pack emerged from realizing how sterile emoji animals are. The cutesie and plush-toy forms totally miss the essence of the beasts they represent.

(Don’t these icons really miss something fundamental about the majesty of the King of the Jungle? Not to mention, where is our mighty huntress lioness emoji?)

The artistic process of creating an Ecosexual Flirtmoji pack has truly highlighted how distanced humans are from the down and dirty reality of nature. Amidst the confusion and despair of climate change, our exploration has reminded us of how useful the natural world is for communication, for inspiration, and for understanding our role and responsibility as humans. We hope our Ecosexual pack helps in your own exploration of your body and mind’s relationship with earth.

Love,

Katy and Jeremy

(The Flirtmoji Wild Style pack, available in the Web Packs Shop for $1.49. A great companion to our free Ecosex pack.)