#Restorative Justice Professionals

[thenalssp]

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[autisticaradiamegido]

day 129

so after a year and a half they're sentencing the dude who carjacked me, and they want my opinion on a few things. i am doing my best not to make them regret this.

[jukeboxhound]

I'm serving as a mediator for some folks and, since I have to be mindful of what I say and do to any of the involved parties and because it has been a long fucking day,

THIS IS SO STUPID. EVERYONE IS SO STUPID. IT'S A GODDAMN BASIC MISCOMMUNICATION AND EVERYONE IS IN THEIR FEELINGS AND MAKING WILD ACCUSATIONS AND IT'S ALL SO STUPID. I HATE EVERYONE INVOLVED.

IF ANYONE USES A POP PSYCH BUZZWORD AGAIN I'M GONNA THROW A TABLE AT THEIR FACE.

I WILL NEVER ACT AS A MEDIATOR AGAIN. I WILL BE THAT HAG IN THE WOODS WHO SHOUTS AT PEOPLE TO EITHER GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER OR GET THE FUCK OFF MY MOUNTAINSIDE.

"hey what do you do for fun" I FIND PLACES AS FAR FROM OTHER LIVING HUMANS AS POSSIBLE AND PRETEND THAT MY SKIN IS BEING SLOWLY REPLACED WITH MOSS

[selamat-linting]

one day when we're finally dragging the billionaires to a guillotine, i hope my mutuals get to personally execute the rich assholes who fucked over their faves 💖

[cyb3rtarot]

Pick a Pile: Message from the Moon Card

Disclaimer: tarot readings are not replacements for professional advice; your future’s in your own hands. Take what resonates, don’t force a reading to fit!

pile 1☾pile 2 pile 3☾pile 4

☽

Pile 1: 

Cards: The Moon, Escape (Mars in Pisces, 12th), 7 of Cups rx, 8 of Wands, Queen of Cups rx, 3 of cups, Politics (7 of Mind), Justice, 9 of Swords rx, 5 of wands, You Can’t Go Back to Yesterday, Keep Your Temper rx

The Message: hello pile one! The Moon can indicate both illusions and delusions, and this is the focus of your message today. This pile really gets caught up in their own fantasies or the mask they present to the world. There’s the sense that reality is hard to cope with, and you immediately run to what is safe and comforting—even if it is only providing false comfort. You guys really like to daydream to the point that some of you are maladaptive daydreamers—or you could have similar coping mechanisms that “remove” you from reality (some struggle with dissociation). You might be the kind of person to tell yourself a lie and start believing it (no offense, that’s not uncommon lol). Some of you use your friendships to distract yourself; your first response to a heavy feeling might be to go hang out. There’s an emphasis on really rushing to get away from one’s feelings or problems. Going back to the mask I mentioned, most of you like to put on a brave face and not reveal how you’re really doing. There’s a LOT of feelings flying around inside, but most people wouldn’t know by looking at you. Some of you do this because of social or family pressure; living with people who don’t understand emotional and mental health. You may have internalized the idea of sweeping everything under the rug and holding it in, or you may do this to keep the peace and avoid hurtful words. Most of the time when these kinds of issues come up in my readings I can feel a heavy, melancholic, or scattered energy, but actually this pile’s energy felt kind of light and refreshing all the way through. If this is your default, that explains why you use this as a mask or why people expect it of you. However, you guys have to give space to process your heavier emotions! It’s not easy at all and neither is giving up coping mechanisms. But to restore balance to your mindset, life approach, and discipline, you must confront that sometimes life feels like a battle. That’s not a bad thing even if it makes you feel bad; it’s necessary for true growth. A lot of you need to stand up for yourself, and this may manifest as tough conversations or arguments. I’m not suggesting you HAVE to go argue with someone—especially if you don’t feel safe, but do analyze the way you can show up for yourself. Look at the ways you have stomped or lessened yourself for the sake of someone else who doesn’t have your inner wellbeing in mind. This also includes standing up to yourself; when your mind tries to enable unhealthy habits you can say no! Even though it won’t necessarily be easy, this is what may help you escape feeling frazzled or tormented. But instead of escaping, you’ll be actually working through it. Your oracle cards are suggesting you may also cling onto past ideals. For example, you may hold onto people you’ve known for a long time even though you no longer have a healthy relationship. Instead of biting your tongue just to keep things the same, say what’s on your mind! If the relationship relies on you never being truthful or authentic, then it’s just a relationship between the other person and the persona you created, not you and them. If you do struggle with dissociation or mental health, I encourage you to see what mental health resources are accessible to you! Good luck pile one, I know you can do it :]

Extra Details: partying or outings as a coping mechanism, using humor to avoid looking hurt, addictive coping (I’m not really getting substances, just unhealthy habits), doesn’t vent to others (maybe you used to but stopped), laughing or smiling when you’re angry (also angry crying), hiding a big temper, always distracting yourself, very heavy nostalgia, not liking the person you’ve grown up to be. You might collect, want to collect, or make little trinkets, like charms? Some of you read tea leaves or charm cast. Ending relationships, trying to remain lighthearted, people changing beyond recognition, living near the woods or forest. A really fast moving relationship (or new business?). Some of you guys might feel like a token friend or partner. People pleasing (specifically by not defending yourself or showing your real personality). Holding on to a long gone past

☽

Pile 2: 

Cards: The Moon, the High Priestess, 4 of hearts rx, Maturity, Consciousness, Compromise, Past Lives (the Moon again!), Sharing (Queen of Action), 9 of cups, Choices

The Message: hi pile two!! I love you guys’ energy, it was so refreshing and sweet 🥰 You have recently gone through a major inner transformation! This feels like a spiritual awakening, but it might also be mental and emotional. Either way, you went into this period of turning internally to find answers in yourself, and this triggered something that feels like a breath of fresh air in you? You could’ve felt like you were living inauthentically before, and now it’s like you “remembered” who you are. There’s this new, inner spring of energy, joy, or creativity, I can even feel it energetically. You’re a breath of fresh air to those around you too. The Moon in your reading (you got it twice!) is speaking about your newfound knowledge. For the spiritual folks, this seems to represent an upgrade in intuition. If you’re not spiritual, you might just “know” yourself better. You’re looking at the world in a new way now that you’ve “found” yourself, but I feel there’s a decision making you feel stuck. You’ve been trying to compromise yourself or put off these choices, but your cards are clearly showing you know what must be done (with the high priestess and the four of hearts rx). For a lot of you, you’ve changed to the point you can no longer comfortably associate with the same people or environments, but you’ve been trying to hold on. You might be trying to not appear too different or strange. Some of you want to pursue spirituality more but have been unsure. Whatever your individual situation is, The Moon and the “compromise” card are asking you to be true to this version of yourself you’ve discovered. Like the High Priestess, this pile “sees through” the veil or illusions of The Moon now. A new external change is waiting to match your internal one; you’re called to act accordingly with the knowledge you’ve learned about yourself.

Extra Details (these have a lot of spiritual beliefs in them so if that is not for you or makes you confused, just skip!): lemonade (pink)?, really liking the color pink or having a pink room, or liking a soft aesthetic. Seeing 6, 266, or 18 a lot. Wanting to start a business or social media page, especially a spiritual one. Accepting your gender identity or yourself in general. New beliefs or belief system. There’s a lot of clairaudience, clairvoyance, and insightful dreams in this pile. You may have or be returning to a belief in reincarnation, or feel like you’ve discovered a past life memory. Some feel like you shared that life with one person in particular from your present? A few feel like you were royal in a past life, but you don’t really care about that as much as you see it in a wider perspective (which is good! This is a very specific message I picked up on). You might’ve noticed an upgrade to your spiritual gifts/intuition before you went through this transformation, which could’ve freaked you out. Meditating a lot (maybe not anymore but during the “awakening”). A positive nihilism—realizing petty things don’t matter as much. Lots of self love and love in general. Calm after the storm. Some of you may be into STEM; I’m getting marine biology, and someone specifically loves shellfish 😀?? (maybe eating them too…)

☽

Pile 3: 

Cards: The Moon, The Hanged Man rx, 4 of swords, Comparison (5 of mind), Fighting (Knight of Mind), King of Swords rx, the Emperor, 5 of wands, Courage (Strength), The Lovers, Enthusiasm (Sun in Sagittarius, 9th house), Who in the World Are You?, Follow the White Rabbit

The Message: hi pile three! If you already felt drawn to pile 1 I encourage you to take a look as there’s similar themes (though yall’s energy feels a bit “lighter”). Much like that pile, your Moon card message is about the illusions you indulge in. The environments or people around you feel very chaotic or competitive, like a space that pits people against each other or promotes conflicts. This could be a workplace or internship, for example. But I feel the tension is more elevated than you’d expect in that kind of environment; it takes its toll on you and jumbles your thoughts. This pile feels disenfranchised somehow, like others coerce you into a certain position, take power away from you, or backstab you. You may close your eyes to this behavior by making excuses as to why others do this, or pretend things are better than they are. A major lesson for this pile is standing up for yourself. People pleasing can help you get through unpleasant minor interactions but shouldn’t be a way of life at the expense of yourself. It’s very emphasized that you might not feel up to the task, and this is partly because the aspect of you that’s courageous and enduring is fragmented from the rest of your identity. It’s not nonexistent, it’s just not readily acknowledged and there’s a difference. All the bravery and strength you need to show up for yourself is already there, waiting to be tapped into. You may not be used to allowing this version of yourself to exist, and that’s partly what’s causing the inner turmoil and confusion. Overcoming this challenge can open up many paths; you may find yourself feeling curious about opportunities you would've never pursued as the “old” you (possibly traveling or moving for a job? It’ll lighten your mental burden at least). When you truly accept yourself and understand there’s internal things no one can take away, then sometimes no words are needed. Your energy and actions will speak for themselves, even if others refuse to understand.

Extra Details: likes cartoons and anime a lot, spent a lot of your life on the internet—especially preteen + teen years, and especially tumblr and vine (this is more directed at millennials and older gen-z where this doesn’t automatically apply to everybody lol). Tiktok or internet humor, glasses with thick frames, indecisiveness. Some of you could’ve worked at a haunted house or a Halloween fair/amusement park? Or gone to a fun Halloween party. Could’ve also worked at a water park. Your job could be very rigorous or leave you physically and mentally exhausted (some of you are baristas?); you might work with or near water. Some of you are in a very passionate relationship and taking back power over your life will positively benefit it. Funnily, when I was pulling my oracle words for you guys, “the moon” came out (again) and also the word “fruit.”—if you get too caught up in facades and masks, you become oblivious to potential blessings there for your “authentic” self only. Or literally some of you like to eat fruit outside during night time lol. May like to analyze dreams for messages. May have an “if I don’t pay attention it can’t hurt me” mindset

Pile 4: 

Cards: The Moon, Impossible Things, Law is not Justice rx, Nature Communication, Postponement (4 of mind), Adventure (page of rainbows), Intuition (Mercury in Cancer, 4th house), Loss (Saturn in Pisces, 12th house), 4 of hearts rx

The Message: hello pile four! Some of you may have felt drawn to pile 2 as there’s a few similar details. The message the Moon wants to give you today is more of a reminder than anything. I see a change in your approach to life. Some of you could have had very black and white thinking about the universe and spirituality before, or you might have felt like the universe was out to get you. Now, it seems you’ve shed this type of thinking, either by taking a more neutral/positive stance towards the universe or by trusting your intuition to navigate life’s challenges. I see many of you pray, ask for signs, or look for the answers to your questions in nature. Some of you meditate for clarity about questions. There’s a significance about working together with another force to get things done (whether this is your outer and inner self, higher vs regular self, conscious and subconscious, you + the universe or God, etc). Many of you are not used to approaching life in this way, and previous self-sabotaging or overly-hesitant tendencies are carrying over. You may feel stuck on what you’re leaving behind, but for most of you it seems these things already ended. For example, some of you are nostalgic about relationships, but it seems you already don’t talk to these people anymore or you’re not on good terms. Or, someone passed away and you’re torn between staying in the environment that included them versus moving to new things. You’re being reminded to both trust yourself and also not get caught in a web of your own thoughts. Have you nurtured the childlike curiosity and wonder that’s trying to work its way out of you, or have you only been focused on some kind of perfect planning? Overthinking the “destination” can become a procrastination technique. The journey is also important as that’s where your growth occurs. You don’t have to keep thinking or asking for a thousand signs until you arrive at a perfect answer [never]; know you can handle the imperfect, too. 

Extra Details: a long-term relationship that ended a while ago (a divorce for some), lots of manifestors, witches, and channelers in this pile, atheist or former atheist, not having any friends or close relationships right now (possibly because of new beliefs), feeling lonely or hesitant due to lack of support, LOTS of painters or visual artists here (this could be what you’re hesitant to pursue?), a very specific message I’m getting is someone could have lost the ability to make art for a while (because of health or loss of materials?), going on new medication or considering it, game design, meeting people in games/mmos/on twitch, leaving a job (especially because of the people or drama), temporary jobs, working with a crush or friend, remote work (some of you could be digital nomads or wanting that lifestyle?), very dark hair, makeup artist, beauty school, working at a hair salon, visiting your friends’ job, art or beauty as a coping mechanism

☽

[astrojulia]

Tarot Cards as Professions

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Major Arcanas:

The Fool: Work with abroad, connections with imports, language teacher, multinationals, entrepreneur, intern, college student, art major.

The Magician: Entrepreneur, job that needs skill with the hands (acupuncture, hairdresser, artisan), actor, salesperson, influencer.

The High Priestess: Education, especially children, nutrition, psychology, cook, housewife, food engineering, toy factory, fortuneteller, spiritual advisor, librarian.

The Empress: Management, business administration, foreign trade, secretariat, translation, decoration, stay-at-home mom, model, cook, farmer.

The Emperor: Business administration, work related to areas of technological innovation, the military or sportsmen, CEO, tycoon.

The Hierophant: Philanthropic areas, ONGs, religious work, social work, diplomacy, and a degree, journalism, writer, editor, priest, spiritual guru, politician.

The Lovers: Sales area in any sector, tourism, theater, advertising, the arts in general, porn star, stripper, masseuse.

The Chariot: Activities related to transport, cars, the latest technology, chauffeur, mechanic, athlete.

Strength: Aesthetics, physical education and various body therapies, medicine, zoologist.

The Hermit: Teacher, writer, doctor, antique dealer, restorer, librarian, gardener.

Wheel of Fortune: Financial market, exchange offices, casinos, lottery houses, stock exchanges, and areas related to public relations, hospitality, game show host.

Justice: Public jobs, won through competitions, politics, police, with government positions, in the diplomatic area, law, insurance company worker.

The Hanged Man: Nurse, auditor, inspector, porter, secretariat, general assistants, yoga instructor, prison guard, philanthropist.

Death: Doctor, farmer, geologist, business administrator, gardener, accountant, assassin, death row executioner, surgeon.

Temperance: Working with liquids in general or with what is transported in liquid form such as alcoholic beverages, medicines, juices. chemist, chef, food critic, regional or even international traffic.

The Devil: Does not limit the individual to a professional wing, so he can also go to extremes for the desire he has, such as landlord, drug lord, sex trafficker.

The Tower: Social assistance, humanitarian aid, medicine, firefighter, police officer, construction worker.

The Star: Music, painting, sculpture, poetry, cinema, makeup artist, dressmaker, beautician, agent, promoter, sound artist, astronomer, harpist, dealer, meteorologist.

The Moon: Oceanographers, sailors, fishermen, owners of bars and restaurants or nightclubs, artists in general, medium, hypnotist, psychiatrist.

The Sun: Motivational speaker, entertainer, comedian, social relationships, work with the public, artist in general, member of society.

Judgment: Work done at home, connection with the law, lawyer, judge, work with disabled or people excluded from society, social assistance, board member, executive producer, director.

The World: Pharmacist, massage therapist, scientist, teacher, community leader, religious leader or priest, fashion designer, makeup artist, interior decorator.

Wands:

Creative industries such as advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

Entrepreneurship and starting your own business.

Athletics, sports coaching, or physical training.

Outdoor jobs like park ranger or tour guide.

Event planning or organizing.

Firefighters or rescue workers.

Ace of Wands: Entrepreneur, startup founder, motivational speaker, fitness coach, personal trainer.

Two of Wands: Business strategist, project manager, travel agent, international consultant, import/export specialist.

Three of Wands: Sales representative, marketing manager, e-commerce entrepreneur, market researcher, international trade coordinator.

Four of Wands: Event planner, wedding coordinator, party organizer, festival manager, hospitality industry professional.

Five of Wands: Conflict resolution specialist, mediator, lawyer, debate coach, competitive sports coach.

Six of Wands: Public relations manager, spokesperson, social media influencer, motivational speaker, winning athlete.

Seven of Wands: Defense attorney, human rights activist, political campaigner, advocate, civil liberties lawyer.

Eight of Wands: Courier, delivery driver, airline pilot, travel blogger, expedition guide.

Nine of Wands: Security guard, bodyguard, soldier, endurance athlete, self-defense instructor.

Ten of Wands: Overworked entrepreneur, project manager, event organizer, professional organizer, heavy equipment operator.

Page of Wands: Assistant in a creative field, aspiring artist, intern in a startup, social media coordinator, apprentice.

Knight of Wands: Travel journalist, adventure tour guide, professional athlete, race car driver, stunt performer.

Queen of Wands: CEO, business owner, charismatic leader, life coach, influential speaker.

King of Wands: Executive manager, entrepreneur, leadership coach, consultant, director of a creative agency.

Cups:

Counseling, therapy, or social work.

Hospitality industry, including restaurant management and bartending.

Wedding planner or event coordinator.

Artistic fields like poetry, writing, or acting.

Healing professions such as nursing or holistic therapy.

Psychologist or counselor specializing in emotions and relationships.

Ace of Cups: Therapist, counselor, social worker, holistic healer, emotional support specialist.

Two of Cups: Marriage counselor, matchmaker, relationship coach, wedding planner, love psychic.

Three of Cups: Event organizer, party planner, celebratory event coordinator, community organizer.

Four of Cups: Meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, spiritual counselor, psychologist, therapist.

Five of Cups: Grief counselor, trauma therapist, hospice worker, emotional healing practitioner, bereavement support.

Six of Cups: Child psychologist, teacher, daycare worker, children's book author, pediatric nurse.

Seven of Cups: Creative writer, fantasy novelist, imaginative artist, dream analyst, visionary.

Eight of Cups: Travel blogger, adventure seeker, spiritual pilgrim, explorer, wanderlust photographer.

Nine of Cups: Life coach, happiness consultant, gratitude coach, self-help author, wellness retreat organizer.

Ten of Cups: Family therapist, marriage and family counselor, foster care advocate, wedding planner, family mediator.

Page of Cups: Creative writer, artist in training, intuitive healer, aspiring therapist, dream interpreter.

Knight of Cups: Actor, romantic poet, musician, art therapist, love and relationship coach.

Queen of Cups: Psychic reader, intuitive healer, counselor, compassionate caregiver, therapist.

King of Cups: Therapist, counselor, intuitive mentor, emotional intelligence trainer, psychologist.

Swords:

Legal professions like lawyers, judges, or law enforcement officers.

Journalists, reporters, or investigators.

IT specialists, computer programmers, or hackers.

Teachers or professors specializing in critical thinking or philosophy.

Military or defense-related careers.

Strategic planners or analysts.

Ace of Swords: Lawyer, judge, legal consultant, investigative journalist, strategic planner.

Two of Swords: Mediator, conflict resolution specialist, negotiator, diplomat, relationship counselor.

Three of Swords: Divorce lawyer, grief counselor, trauma therapist, emotional healer, heart surgeon.

Four of Swords: Rest and relaxation specialist, meditation teacher, spiritual retreat organizer, yoga instructor.

Five of Swords: Military strategist, competitive sports coach, lawyer specializing in litigation, debate coach.

Six of Swords: Travel agent, relocation consultant, therapist specializing in transitions, boat captain.

Seven of Swords: Private investigator, spy, intelligence analyst, cybersecurity expert, undercover agent.

Eight of Swords: Social justice lawyer, human rights advocate, disability rights activist, therapist specializing in limiting beliefs.

Nine of Swords: Insomnia specialist, anxiety therapist, nightmare counselor, sleep coach, mental health counselor.

Ten of Swords: Surgeon, coroner, forensic scientist, mortician, grief counselor.

Page of Swords: Researcher, journalist, fact-checker, apprentice in a legal field, investigative reporter.

Knight of Swords: Military officer, police officer, attorney, competitive fencer, conflict resolution specialist.

Queen of Swords: Judge, lawyer, critic, journalist, literary agent.

King of Swords: Judge, attorney, CEO, strategist, military general.

Pentacles:

Financial advisors or investment bankers.

Real estate agents or property developers.

Agriculture, farming, or gardening.

Architects, builders, or construction workers.

Conservationists or environmentalists.

Accountants or bookkeepers.

Ace of Pentacles: Financial advisor, investment banker, wealth manager, entrepreneur, luxury goods retailer.

Two of Pentacles: Financial analyst, accountant, bookkeeper, event planner, stock trader.

Three of Pentacles: Architect, contractor, project manager, teamwork facilitator, craftsman.

Four of Pentacles: Wealth manager, investor, financial planner, asset protection specialist, treasurer.

Five of Pentacles: Social worker, philanthropist, charity organizer, financial counselor, volunteer.

Six of Pentacles: Philanthropist, humanitarian worker, non-profit manager, social worker, charitable fundraiser.

Seven of Pentacles: Gardener, farmer, agricultural consultant, sustainability expert, botanist.

Eight of Pentacles: Craftsperson, artisan, apprentice, skilled tradesperson, technical trainer.

Nine of Pentacles: Luxury brand manager, independent business owner, successful entrepreneur, vineyard owner, art collector.

Ten of Pentacles: Real estate developer, property investor, family business owner, generational wealth manager, financial advisor.

Page of Pentacles: Intern, student, apprentice in a practical field, aspiring entrepreneur, entry-level employee.

Knight of Pentacles: Accountant, financial planner, farmer, skilled tradesperson, meticulous worker.

Queen of Pentacles: CEO, business owner, property developer, hospitality industry entrepreneur, financial advisor.

King of Pentacles: CEO, business mogul, successful investor, high-level executive, financial consultant.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[maxislvt]

Missed You

Summary: After being away on a needlessly long mission, the only thing Wanda wants is you.

Warnings: unedited because I wrote this is a total of 4 hours, omegaverse, smut, knotting, riding, might bondage (Wanda's magic), nipple play (no breast mention), omega Wanda typical levels of dominance, brief angst, brief discussion of infertility (reader)

Author's Note: Sorta considering making this into a more connected story that kinda follows r and omega!Wanda from AoU to MoM 🧍🏽 hit me up if you're interested low-key

Wanda found a lot of joy in dominating you.

After a long day of being underestimated by alphas and having her plans ruined by their thick headed incompetence — she could trust you'd be snuggled up in her bedsheets to make her happy again. You'd be working overtime to restore her faith in the world today.

What was only supposed to be a two day mission unfortunately turned into almost a week of reorganizing and trailing because a certain agent couldn't handle taking orders from a beta or omega. Losing focus because of a rut cycle was one thing. That was beyond anyone's culture and suppressants didn't always work. Not listening because of something as silly as "alpha instincts" was stupid completely unprofessional.

The extension meant you were forced to suffer through your rut entirely on your own. Wanda's pettiness and Natasha's professionalism couldn't let such foolishness go without punishment. A meeting with Fury would be another 30 minutes away from you, but it had to be done. You deserved her in the best mood she could possibly be in. Wanda wasn't going to let some idiot get in the way of that.

After justice had been served, she made a beeline for your room. Wanda was shocked to find it empty. She checked the gym and the kitchen and yet you were still nowhere to be found. It was strange. You normally jumped into her arms the second she got home. The only other place you could've been was her bedroom but you rarely went in there without her.

Wanda slowly opened the door to her room and peaked inside. It was a rather nice surprise. You were snuggled up in your own little nest on top of her bed. Alphas didn't nest so it was a nice surprise to see you make your own.

She crept closer to your sleeping form and climbed onto the bed. Wanda placed soft kisses on your cheek in order to wake you up. "How's my favorite alpha pup doing?" She whispered in a sugary sweet voice.

Your heart fluttered before your eyes did. A blush spread across your face as you realized you'd been caught. "Um, sorry about this. You were gone and I missed- I…I don't know it just felt right…" Subconsciously, you sink further into the mattress out of embarrassment. "I was gonna clean up before you got back but I fell asleep."

A smile appeared on her face. "Oh baby, you don't have to apologize. I'm just happy you're comfortable." It's a cute little moment and Wanda doesn't want to ruin it but seeing you so vulnerable and relaxed reminded her why she went looking for you. One of her hands ran up and down your stomach. "Do you want me to scent your nest? Most omegas find their nests more comfortable when their alphas scent is stronger."

For a moment you just soaked in the affection that Wanda gave you. "Mhm, this stuff doesn't smell like you anymore." Your body melted into the bed as Wanda's sweet and spicy scent filled the room. Wanda's body heat and scent were almost enough to send you back to the land of dreams. Before you could, a painfully familiar heat began overtaking your body again. It was searing hot and desperate — worsened by the proximity to your mate. "I think…I think you messed up my rut cycle."

Wanda tilted her in confusion. "What's wrong?" She could've been cruel and played dumb until you properly asked for her, but she decided to play nice. Her hand slid down to your crotch and groped the erection forming in your pants. "You certainly don't have issues getting it up." Your boxers were practically ripped off your body. She straddled your thighs and immediately put her attention on your cock. Already hard and desperate for release. "Tell your omega what's wrong, I can't help you if you don't speak up."

A shiver ran down your spine as Wanda's palm slid up and down your shaft. "Um, it uh it just- ah!" You were putty in Wanda's hands already. She had you shaking and stumbling over your words with just a few touches. The pleasure you desperately craved days earlier was finally at your fingertips. it was almost too much for you to bear. "I- I was fine this morning and I thought it was over, but you're back and it's really bad!"

Wanda hummed as if genuinely contemplating what you were telling her. "It's probably just your rut trying to even out still. Bruce did say it'd take a while for it to be normal again." Either she was right or her mere presence had somehow cranked your hormones up to eleven. Neither sounded that bad to her. She placed a soft kiss on your painfully red tip and smiled. "Tell your omega how bad you need her. Do you want to try knotting me again?"

It seemed to be more of a plan than a question as Wanda already started the process of stripping herself. Wanda loved hearing you insist and rush out an answer, but there was no reason to drag out the situation much longer.

You slipped into Wanda's cunt with ease. She was so warm and tight — it was a miracle you didn't cum in the spot. The thought of barely lasting five minutes had you scrambling to lift her off. "C-can we try another way? I don't think this is really fair to you-"

Wanda pushed you back down. Her magic wrapped around your wrist and pinned them to the head board. "Shush, I know my little alpha is sensitive right now. Just focus on trying to knot me, ok?" She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around your neck. Fortunately for you, Wanda decided to take pity on you and set a slow pace for you. Staying in control became increasingly difficult. "If we keep this up, we'll be in sync before you know it."

She nuzzled into your neck, covering you in her scent. Then she immediately slid down to focus on your nipples. "I think I should play with these more, they're so sensitive." The smirk on her face was cat-like and evil. Without much warning, she began to tweak and tug your nipples. Every whine and whimper that came out of your mouth tightened the knot in her stomach. "My little alpha pup is so sensitive at times." She chuckled before giving your nipples a hard tug.

"Noo, don't do that please!" You whined out. Your hips started to squirm and cant up. "I'm gonna cum, please let me cum inside." An unfamiliar swelling started at the base of your cock and slowly began to grow. "I think it's happening!" Your head fell back against the pillow. Overstimulation was going to be the death of you. "It's too much."

Wanda continued to rut against you. "No no, it's okay just keep going." She cupped your face, forcing you to look at her. Intimacy was always her number one priority. "Look at me, baby. You're doing such a good job." She let out a throaty moan as your knot finally slipped inside of her. "Oh baby, you're making me feel so full. I'm proud of you!"

You buried your face into your omega's neck. A low whine forced its way out of your mouth as your cum painted Wanda's walls. "Fuck that feels so good," You rushed as your knot finally slipped inside of Wanda.

The painful stretch of your knot was all Wanda needed to tumble into her own orgasm. Her walls fluttered and her hips began to mindlessly rut against you with no direction. "You're making your omega feel good, I love you so much." She peppered kisses all over your face as she rode out her high. Wanda fell forward the second her orgasm was over.

Both of you were covered in sweat, tired, and absolutely ruined.

You were the first to speak after a best of silence. "Is this…is this gonna get you pregnant?" The two of you had yet to discuss what you wanted for yourselves. Retirement, college, kids — all that stuff seemed like something for the future. It wasn't a good idea to make those decisions so quickly.

Wanda shook her head. "A knot doesn't work if you can't get pregnant beforehand." She kissed your cheek. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Just relax for now, okay?" A family would've been wonderful, but you weren't capable of getting Wanda pregnant and Avenging with a family wasn't ideal. The truth left Wanda's eyes stinging, but she trusted that the two of you could make something work.

You could see the sadness growing on Wanda's face, but decided not to make it worse. Instead, you wrapped her in a tight hug and scented her. "You can be the big spoon when I can pull out if you want…"

Wanda leaned back and looked up at you. You took care of her even when you were covered in sweat and ass naked. A loving smile spread across her face. "I don't know, I might stick to being the little spoon from now on," She said teasingly. Wanda laughed at the pout on your face. "I'm kidding. I couldn't let my favorite teddy bear go without cuddles for too long."

You let out an embarrassed huff as a blush spread across your face. "You're so mean sometimes."

[oddlittlemiss]

Sun Phases

The Sun is just as powerful and magical as the Moon. Although the moon takes 28 days to complete one full cycle, the sun completes its cycle within a day. Making it perfect to perform specific rituals/spells if the moon isn't at the phase you want.

Of course, Sun Magic carries its own energy as does the Moon. Some rituals/spells might do better during the time of the moon.

Dawn

This phase of the sun is connected to fresh starts, beginnings, or change. This is a good time for focusing on new jobs, new love or relationships, new path, or a new way of seeing things. Dawn is also great for rejuvenation such as renewal of hope and trust, recovery of good health, and restoring physical energy. Use this time to also consecrate your items.

Morning

The energy from the morning sun expands, making it very strong and active. Projects revolving around building, growth, or expansion works exceedingly well during this phase. Use this time to build on the positive aspects in your life, and resolve situations where courage is needed. You can also increase the warmth and harmony to your home, family, and relationships. Need to work on your heart issues (romance, sex, relationships)? Now is the time to handle those problems.

Noon

The sun is at full power as it peaks the sky at high noon. Matters of the heart, dealing with finances, justice, and protection are great to focus on during this phase. This is an excellent time to ask for extra strength and energy to help get through the rest of the day. Health magic does well during this phase too.

Afternoon

Descending from the sky, the sun energies become more receptive, less brash, and much more discerning. Set time aside to handle projects that need clarity, professionalism (anything requiring a strategic approach), business matters, communications, and all interactions with other people. Rituals focusing on exploration of ideas, adventures, and travel are also good to do during this phase.

Sunset

Slowly disappearing from sight, the energy of the sun is diminishing. Use this time to tie up loose ends, getting rid of bad habits, and eradicating personal aggravations such as; stress, confusion, and poor health. This phase is perfect to cleanse things such as tools, crystals/stones, a ritual space, or even yourself. Sunset can help uncover deceptions so, divination work is good to do during this time.

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Sorry if this is a heavy question but I don't know where else to go. Is it true that you will go to hell if you commit suicide? And if not, how can I be sure? Completely sure?

I don't ask for bad reasons, just that I have a degenerative disease and there will eventually come a point when i'm still alive but can no longer live at all. Hopefully that's still a long ways away but I want to have a choice when that time comes, rather than existing for potentially years with severe pain and no joy. But can I do that without condemning myself to an eternity of the same?

CW: suicide, hell, degenerative disease, euthanasia

Hi there, anon. I fully believe that a just and loving God would never condemn anyone who is going through the kind of internal and external struggle that leads to suicide.

I have a long article on Medium where I explore instances of suicide ideation in scripture that I recommend to you. Overall, I conclude that condemnation of suicide is not present in the Bible: the few instances of completed suicide are presented pretty neutrally; and the many instances of suicide ideation elicit God's compassion, not condemnation.

Throughout scripture, God’s response to depressed and suicidal people is not condemnation, but

validation of their experience;

removal of the factors that make them depressed/suicidal; and

helping them access a more abundant life.

When it comes to your degenerative disease, that second point might sound absurd or even offensive. I do not tout cureism; I'm absolutely not telling you to put on rose-colored lenses and pretend your disease will magically go away. While it's possible that medicine may advance in your lifetime to help prolong your life or ease your pain, it sounds like you're very aware of the realities of your disease and the more likely path it will take.

But while I don't believe in a magical genie God who vanishes away all pain and illness in our lives, I do believe in a God who enters into our suffering. A God who, when removal of pain is not possible, endures that pain with us; and who guides us into community that will support us in all that we go through. And who, yes, ultimately brings us into abundant life — partially in this life, fully in the next.

___

Along with biblical support for God's compassion for suicidal persons, Christian denominations that used to promote the idea that suicide leads to damnation have since revised those views.

As our collective understandings of mental health have developed over the last century or so, it's become more obvious even to the most traditional groups (e.g. the Catholic Church) that claiming that people who die by suicide go straight to hell is an extremely callous and unjust view and frankly, a grievous form of victim-blaming.

Instead, while emphasizing the seriousness of suicide and urging suicidal persons to seek professional assistance, most churches now assure the loved ones of those who have died by suicide that God's mercy and love cover all things. And those churches with a solid social justice mindset invest their resources in removing the societal factors that lead someone to suicide, rather than blaming the suicidal.

___

I hope this helps ease your fears somewhat, anon. You may also find encouragement in my #hell tag, where I frequently talk about how I don't believe in hell at all. God's will for all of us is relationship and thriving; and when I believe anything at all I do believe the words Jesus taught us: "thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Suffering and death will not have the last word; punitive "justice" will not have the last word; God's restorative justice and all-embracing love will.

Wishing you as slow a progression in your degenerative disease as possible. And no matter where this life takes you, I pray that you find your people, who will support you and advocate for you, laugh and weep with you, learn and live and love with you; and that you feel God's deep, abiding love, holding you close through all things.

[madamlaydebug]

SACRED OBLIGATION~❤️🖤💚

We are obligated to professionally organize our misery, suffering, enslavement, and exploitation, not merely to end this miserable condition; but to create our world anew.

Most importantly, to give new meaning to our lives, to give freedom to our soul again, to have faith in our own abilities again, to love again beyond the pain, to feel life beyond these storms, to live without prison bases, and enslavers, to think without censors.

To believe without fear of devils and gods, to hope without handouts and humiliation, to stand without bending, to walk without crawling, to speak without stuttering, to have courage again, to have heart, to ensure safety against attacks, to be without want and weaknesses, to be whole again, to do justice and to be just, to reach for PERFECTION AGAIN.

PERFECTION to feed our hungry, clothe our naked, house our homeless, educate our ignorant, tend to those early and late in life, to make wings that fly this time.

To settle accounts and right all wrongs to lift up our fallen, restore our good names, and give life to those near death. Also to mend our broken, to make weakness strength, to make cowards courageous, to make those in fear brave, to give voice to silence, eyes to blindness, legs to those who are crippled, justice to those mistreated, science to those mis-educated, engineering to build futures, an opportunity to those cheated in the past, and purpose and CERTAINTY TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN DOUBT~TO WIN.

AGAIN... Dr. Tdka Maat Kilimanjaro

[welurklate]

In defence of Ron Weasley - or: why Weasley is our King!

I have noticed that in the last decade so-called Ron-bashing has almost become a sport in the Harry Potter fandom, or at least in certain corners of the fandom. And that makes me quite sad, because in my eyes it is unjustified and a product of circumstances that have nothing to do with the canon character. People depict Ron as a laughing stock, a truly incompetent wizard who is nothing but jealous and petty. Even in fanfics where Ron is an adult he rarely outgrows his teenage character. I believe this has to do with a few thing I will get into here.

First and foremost, we have to take a stance and decide if we believe that redemption is possible or not. If you think that once a fruit shows signs of rot it is better to throw out than to salvage it, stop reading here. If you think there are parts that can be saved and possibly restored, you are probably a Draco fan as well 😉 and you're welcome to read on.

So first of all, everything we see the characters do in the books they do as children and teenagers. Adolesence is a time of great changes, physically and psychologically. The prefrontal lobe of our brain still develops until our mid-twenties. It is a time to experiment and to make decisions, even if they are objectively the wrong ones, and to learn from that and to evolve into well-adjusted, open-minded and self-reflecting adults. So it isn’t even necessary to ‘redeem’ oneself for what you did growing up, it is just imperative to evolve. I have been working with teenagers my whole professional life and I am always amazed by what happens between the ages of 10 and 20/25.

So Ron is a child in the first books and an adolescent in the final parts and we actually see him grow and evolve. Not everyone is as perfect as Hermione and we sometimes forget that people can be flawed in small ways (not only in big ways such as ‘oops, I’ve taken the dark mark and commit war crimes’). I think people tend to hate on Ron because of this. He is so normal in his jealousy and his envy. We see a lot of ourselves in him and that is uncomfortable. We turn to fiction to experience the extraordinary in both good and bad, but we rarely want to see our very common shortcomings reflected in the characters. Because then we could just read self-help books and do something about it. But we don’t. We just want to escape reality and enter into worlds where everything is starker in contrast, emotions are deeper and stakes are higher.

And Ron is not such a character. He is a mild grey. He is not the hero, but he is also not the villain. Ambiguity and nuance have very little place in fantasy. But I think that is exactly what makes Ron such a great character and the books (despite JKR’s bigotism) so fascinating.

So what I see people do in fanfiction is to push his character to the extremes – mostly make him an antagonist. Interestingly, this usually occurs in in Dramione or Harmony fics. In Drarry fics or others where Hermione and Ron stay together, he usually gets to grow up into a reasonable and well-adjusted adult. And I get it. I love Hermione and I get what she sees in Ron (stability, a deep understanding, loyalty, common values, a wise mind that complements her academic one etc.). But in stories where we pair Hermione with other people we need to get Ron out of the way. Because we cannot, for the love of Merlin, make Hermione be the problematic one in the relationship (she is the queen of the books - she cannot be touched). So of course we have to make sure that Ron is the reason why their relationship fails. And to make their breakup believable, we antagonize Ron so that there is no chance for them to get back together. From a storytelling viewpoint this makes absolute sense. But it does not do Ron’s character justice. Canon Ron is a truly amazing character. The movies did him dirty and depicted him as the slightly stupid one with the punch lines and this has often clouded our image of him. Book Ron holds much more power in the trio's friendship. He is the one who introduces Hermione and Harry to all things in the Wizarding World. He is smart – even though he is not as zealous as Hermione, he is a good student and a brilliant wizard’s chess player. He is genuine, kind and loyal. I won’t reiterate all the smart things people have said about his character before. If you are interested you can check some good arguments here:

here, here or here

Everything he is and everything he goes through makes him a hero in his own way. He is the character with the biggest development and the biggest potential. He overcomes his own shortcomings again and again to stay by Harry's side. Especially in the last books he struggles, makes decisions he deeply regrets and faces his insecurities.

I could go on and on about this… but leave it at this for now. I hope this makes you see Ron in a better light! Fight me in the comments or sing along my praise of Ron!

tl;dr: Ron is a truly interesting character but the movies and fanon have skewed his image in a negative way.

[wangxianficfinder]

Famous

~*~

Pop and Prejudice by flowerofgusu  (E, 25k, WangXian, Modern AU, Popstar, Pining, Misunderstandings, popstar wwx and music critic lwj, Falling In Love, Pride and Prejudice References, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, POV LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, Pining LWJ, Famous WWX and Non-Famous LWJ, First Time, Light Angst, Soft WangXian)

The Fault in Our Stars by Vamillepudding (T, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, Getting Together, Romantic Comedy, Comedy of Errors, Misunderstandings, the title makes it sound like a cancer story, it's not a cancer story)

The Shape of Your Love (is Horny) by Vamillepudding (T, 25k, WangXian, Modern AU, Urban Fantasy, Getting Together, Romantic Comedy, WWX is Bad at Being a Demon, LWJ is definitely a Monsterfucker)

your heartbeat, across the grass by fakeplasticlily (E, 44k, WangXian, Modern AU, Football, footballer!lwj, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Oblivious WWX, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, liberal use of romcom tropes, Childhood Friends, Kid Fic, this is not American football btw it’s what you guys call soccer)

live from new york an snl au by varnes (E, 105k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, This is a SNL AU, however the juniors are featured and there are lots of shenanigans!, slow burn, friends to lovers, pining, getting together, happy ending, accidental marriage, secret marriage)

🧡 I Don't Want to Debut! by countingcr0ws (G, 56k, WangXian, Modern AU, Reality show, Idols, Actor LWJ, Forced Contestant WWX, Tencent's 2021 Idol Producer)

❤️ Knight Hunt! Phoenix Mountain by travelingneuritis (E, 51k, wangxian, modern, dating show, Modern Cultivation, but in the silliest way possible, Reality TV, the juniors are interns, Smut, Illustrations, low-stakes pining)

Waiting for Spring by thievinghippo (E, 130k, WangXian, Modern AU, MLB AU, Baseball AU, Mutual Pining, Pining while fucking, slight angst, Happy Ending)

WeHateDogs by trippednfell (T, 3k, WangXian, Modern AU, Inspired by Twitter, Social Media AU, WWX is a professional dog hater, Fluff and Crack)

~*~

YouTuber

~*~

like, comment, share & subscribe by detectorist (T, 22k, WangXian, Modern AU, College AU, YouTube, Social Media, Flirting, Humour, Banter, Getting Together, First Kiss, Texting, Youtubers For Social Justice, YouTube Rivals to Lovers)

Obligations and indulgences by Winxhelina (T, 27k, WangXian, LWJ & NHS & WWX, Modern AU, College/University, Miscommunication, Pining, Humor, Misunderstandings, Explicit Language, Influencer NHS, Drinking, Drunk LWJ, First Kiss, Social Media, Texting, NHS meddiling)

Cloud Nine Series by mssdare (E, 86k, WangXian, Modern AU, YouTube, Depression, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Mental Health Issues, Mental Breakdown, Suicidal Thoughts, ASMR, youtuber LWJ, youtuber WWX, Social Media, Getting Together, getting better, Happy Ending, Intercrural Sex, Shower Sex, Sleepy Cuddles, Videoblogging, Sexual Dysfunction, Erectile Dysfunction, Medication, Touching, Anal Sex, Domestic Bliss, Nightmares, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, side effects of medication, Slow Pace)

🧡【那夏天的我們】a stroke of fate by puddingcatbeans (G, 59k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff, Slice of Life, Falling In Love, Summer, Barakamon AU, renowned musician lwj escapes to tiny village and falls in love with local farmer boy wwx, good times only, YouTuber WWX, Food)

simping for hanguang-jun by defractum (nyargles) (T, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, YouTubers WangXian, Fluff, Among us game, Streamer AU)

🧡[restoration exercise - no talking] by spookykingdomstarlight (M, 18k, WangXian, Model WWX, ASMR YouTuber LWJ, Strangers to Lovers, Meet-Cute, Long-Distance Relationship, Identity Porn, Fluff, Light Angst, Loneliness, Yearning)

🧡a baby rabbit is called a kitten and other fun facts by aurora_chiroptera (G, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, this is really a kid fic in a lot of ways hidden in a youtube/social media au, Mutual Pining, NHS uses they/them pronouns, JZX is a trans lesbian and uses she/her pronouns, Child LSZ, Long-Distance Relationship, (kinda?), Fluff, and bunnies, Soft WangXian, Good Parent WWX, Single Parent WWX, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Nonbinary NHS, LWJ Has Friends, set in the US)

i hear your name in the wind by meanderingroad (T, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, POV Alternating, Social Media, vlogger!WWX, Pining, Misunderstandings, Texting, Light Angst, Happy Ending, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, WangXian.mp3, WWX talks about his feelings, Yunmeng trio bonding, Identity Porn)

episodes by kasunn (M, 34k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff, basically all fluff, Youtuber WWX, Social Media, Actor LXC, Artist JC, Chef JYL, Babysitting, lowkey kidfic, Surgeon LWJ, Canon typical feels, Taiwanese WWX, Copious amounts of Chinglish, pets!, Secret Relationship, kind of bad pet names, Established Relationship, LSZ is a wen)

rhythm after summer by callmeb6104 (T, 10k, wangxian, modern, youtuber WWX, single parent WWX, animaal keeper LWJ, fluff, LWJ in denial, family feels)

Winter Sun by brojorlas (M, 38k, wangxian, youtuber!WWX, pining, miscommunication)

Yoga With Wangji by rovi (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Yoga)

love on 35mm by fakeplasticlily (M, 26k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Swimming, film student lwj, Pining, Mutual Pining, swimmer wwx, best friends lwj and jyl)

Just So by airinshaw (E, 21k, wangxian, modern, fluff, getting together, pining)

Inflexible by yeaka (E, 3k, WangXian, Modern AU, PWP, Anal Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Established Relationship, Dominance, Dom/sub Undertones)

How to Draw Clouds, a Guide by Little Apple’s Emotional Support Human by sweetiejelly (M, 7k, wangxian, modern, youtube, pets, getting together, fluff & humor)

Dine Together by nagi_blue (G, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU)

Going Viral by Wishful_author_xoxo (G, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff and Crack, Protective LWJ, BAMF WWX, Grocery Shopping, Crack Treated Seriously, Disney References) - actually tiktok

[todaysdocument]

Draft letter to Dr. Richard Mudd from Jimmy Carter

Collection JC-COUNSL: Records of the White House Office of Counsel to the PresidentSeries: Robert J. Lipshutz's FilesFile Unit: Mudd, Dr. Samuel (deceased) 5/78-9/79

February 22, 1979 [Draft] Dr. Richard Mudd 1001 Hoyt Avenue Saginaw, Michigan 48607 Dear Dr. Mudd: I have for some time been aware of your efforts to clear the name of your grandfather, Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd, the physician who set the broken leg of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Boot [spelling error], and who was subsequently convicted as an assassination conspirator. Your tireless efforts for more than half a century to unearth and publicize the facts in the case and the questionable circumstances surrounding Dr. Mudd's conviction are commendable. Such persistence and faith are a tribute to the strength of familial love and dedication and are a credit to the great principles upon which our Nation was founded. That Dr. Mudd's conviction is questionable was clearly demonstrated by President Andrew Johnson who, on February 8, 1869, issued a full and unconditional pardon of Dr. Mudd. As President Johnson stated in issuing the pardon; "the circumstances of the surgical aid to the escaping assassin and the imputed concealment of his flight are deserving of a lenient construction, as within the obligations of professional duty, and, thus, inadequate evidence of a guilty sympathy with the crime or criminal." Furthermore, President Johnson concluded: "in other respects the evidence...leaves room for uncertainty as to the true measure and nature of the complicity." I have reviewed your petition and the petitions on behalf of your grandfather submitted to me by various members of Congress, several state legislatures, historians and private citizens asking that I, President, vacate the conviction of Dr. Samuel Mudd. I have requested and reviewed investigations by both the Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Legal Counsel to determine the authority of Dr. Richard Mudd February 22, 1979 Page Two the President of the United States to act in a case in which a civilian was convicted by a military commission of a crime against the Commander-in-Chief. After reviewing all issues and legal precedents relating to this case, I must conclude, regrettably, that it is not within the power of the President to make such a declaration. However, the case of Dr. Samuel Mudd is unique. In no other instance has so much been written, have so many voices been raised and have so many individuals endeavored to establish the innocence of Dr. Mudd and to seek his exoneration. In light of the evidence which has been amassed in the 113 years since his conviction, the injustice to Dr. Mudd and his family is clear. The phrase "your name is mud" has too long been used unjustly as an expression of contempt and scorn. The name of Mudd should be able to be borne proudly by all those who are descended from him. It is because of your unceasing efforts to clear your grandfather, and to restore to his name the dignity it deserves and that should be enjoyed by you and all the Mudd descendants, that I am writing to you to express my personal belief in the innocence of Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd. For the sake of setting history straight, the name of Mudd should be cleared, once and for all, of any negative connotation or implied lack of honor. Sincerely, Jimmy Carter

[ca-suffit]

not sure if you’re blocked and also it’s long but: https://www.tumblr.com/virginiaisforvampires/754230384624107520/hello-you-can-just-delete-this-if-you-think-it any thoughts on this post? i really don’t know where any of this is going…

Virginia is a known racist and Lestat apologist who will dig up any crumb of "evidence" from the show to fit her own version of anything. She's attached to Lestat and the story bcuz of personal trauma and doesn't seem to have any self-awareness about that. She's able to play a professional victim about anything, particularly for the way she always has to throw in this kind of shit into every post:

And that element is where the dissociation between the writers/characters and the fandom begins. The fandom wants to view this through the lens of domestic abuse with one partner being 100% the victim and the other partner being 100% the abuser. If anyone disagrees, it gets into the territory of bullying, name-calling, harassment, labeled an abuse apologist, labeled a racist, constant policing of opinions, and so on and so forth.

A show like this doesn't happen by accident and the stuff we're told at various levels of the show are not the writers themselves. Things are being intentionally put into these stories to be noticed the way they are. A lot of ppl hate this adaptation but pretend they don't bcuz they're waiting for Lestat's season, cuz they think race won't matter anymore and it's time for fun, sexy, sassy bitch shit!! They think none of this will rly matter and it's something to tolerate rn.

None of these ppl has an understanding of Lestat as a character the way that Anne Rice actually wrote him. They'll praise his "honesty" and then ignore the ways he tells u himself how he's killed ppl sometimes bcuz he was just moody, or how he knocks Nicki across a room into a mirror during an argument. Louis and him physically fight all the time. This reliance on "he'd never do this to Louis" is bs bcuz this is a logical escalation of the character from Anne Rice herself.

These ppl don't see Lestat objectively and they don't understand how to navigate the reality of what abuse looks like, they don't know how to navigate interracial abuse, and everything they're looking for is a reason that Lestat is the real victim, which is why nothing makes sense to them.

We didn't revisit murder night at the trial bcuz the trial is fake and that is meant to highlight why it's fake. "Why aren't we focused on the actual crime?" Bcuz the point was to assassinate the characters of everyone through a lot of antiblack tropes, not carry out any "real" justice. As Claudia says, Lestat is clearly still alive. It's meant to feel disorienting and fucked bcuz it is! The revisits to the fight and everything else are to make Lestat look like a bigger victim. The point of the show is never to reveal one "true" version of anything. The truth of any of it lies somewhere in between *all* of it. Ppl waiting for this "perfect" moment of clarity, usually where Lestat can stop being seen as such a bad guy, are going to wait forever.

Anne Rice never rly confronted any topics or had characters grow so her book stans don't know what that looks like and can't see where any of these stories are going. Ppl upset about the drop, saying it ruined a beautiful loustat book moment, can't seem to comprehend that they will prbly fly into the sky again at a later time, when Louis' trust has been restored more. There's no ability to think long term into stories, I've noticed. it's all a rush of soothing panicked feelings at "why does this fandom hate my favorite character." IWTV has *always* made Lestat out to be a piece of shit. The only difference here is that his white privilege is brought to attention more and the characters he's hurting and who hate him are now black and brown. that gives ppl a lot of feelings and so now the point of fandom has been to keep reminding everyone he's actually a great guy and all of this is from trauma and vampire laws, he's innocent under it all!

That is what many people in this fandom seem to be doing. They are viewing this show through their own lens of personal experiences, viewpoints, credos, and humanistic morality standards.

And that will simply not work with this show. From what I’ve seen and heard, I think that is the detached approach the writers are taking. They are creating this gothic love story adapted from books about vampires. They add in meta levels of commentary about racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc. They just never meant for that to be what the show was truly about.

She can't even describe book scenes accurately or ever talk about race or racism but let's all trust her to tell us what the show is rly trying to say lol. suuuuuuure.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Emergent trust and responsibility: three examples

Anti-violence and transformative justice

This renewal of collective responsibility and trust can also be seen in feminist, anti-violence, and transformative justice movements that address interpersonal violence in ways that undo the monopoly of policing and courts. A crucial insight from these movements is that listening to, believing, and trusting survivors of violence is powerful, undermining a culture that normalizes violence and blames survivors of rape and abuse for the ways they have been hurt. The capacity of survivors to trust themselves and each other is often the beginning of community-based responses through which people take collective responsibility for confronting and transforming patterns of violence.

The work of these movements has led to a proliferation of networks of mutual support and care, and the creation of alternatives to police, courts, and prisons that exacerbate violence and oppression. In North America, these initiatives have been led by BIPOC women, Two-Spirit, queer, and trans people, in particular, whose communities have been targeted with criminalization and incarceration since the inception of policing and prisons. As INCITE! and Critical Resistance organizers write,

The reliance on the criminal justice system has taken power away from women’s ability to organize collectively to stop violence and has invested this power within the state. The result is that women who seek redress in the criminal justice system feel disempowered and alienated. It has also promoted an individualistic approach toward ending violence such that the only way people think they can intervene in stopping violence is to call the police. This reliance has shifted our focus from developing ways communities can collectively respond to violence.[113]

In this context, “transformative justice” (TJ) has emerged as an alternative to “restorative justice” models. Its emphasis on transformation is based on the insight that—especially among Black and Indigenous communities—violence is structural and institutional, without a baseline that could be “restored.” Instead, as lawyer and anti-violence organizer Rachel Zellars explains, it works pragmatically from existing relationships to interrupt institutional and interpersonal cycles of violence, disposability, and punishment:

[Transformative justice] centres Black women’s experiences of violence while resisting the notion that speaking about violence detracts from organizing: men who cause harm can be understood simultaneously as effective or well-loved organizers and as perpetrators of misogynistic violence. In this sense, TJ is open-armed – naming violence committed while leaving room for those who have caused harm to be accountable and to come back into the fold.”[114]

Transformative justice and anti-violence are also linked to struggles for migrant justice, anti-gentrification, and prison abolition. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, women refugees created an informal support group and drop-in center for those in their community facing domestic abuse, which led to a cooperative catering business and a childcare network that helped address the poverty and isolation that was recreating the conditions for violence.[115] In 2004 anti-violence advocate Mimi Kim founded Creative Interventions, an organization dedicated to sharing grassroots responses to interpersonal violence and lessons from these attempts.[116] Forged in alliance and conversation with prison abolitionist movements, they encourage reliance on friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers as alternatives to professional services or policing. Their flexible approach acknowledges that people may want to remain in their relationships or the places where they live, centering the needs of survivors while working towards the transformation of the situation that led to the violence.

By enacting alternatives to cops and courts, these initiatives nurture autonomy in place of racist, heteropatriarchal institutions, undoing the culture in which both survivors and perpetrators are made disposable and institutional violence is obscured. Everyone we know who is involved in these efforts to end cycles of violence can attest to how fraught, messy, and difficult they can be. They do not always go well. Nonetheless, this is the kind of “freedom” discussed in the last chapter: the capacity to work on relationships, to become more active in undoing oppressive patterns, and to nurture and deepen trust and collective responsibility.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Fern Oppenheim, David Bernstein and Eran Shayshon

Published: Jun 14, 2024

While the Jewish world was reeling from the inhumanity of the Oct. 7 massacre, an immediate aftershock came in the form of the anti-Israel rallies on college campuses and on the streets of major cities. Since that time, the protests have only intensified. Opposing Israel has become fashionable in some circles. Campus activists feel imbued with a sense of historic mission, perceiving themselves as the modern embodiment of the protest movements of the 1960s. Many Jewish professionals and lay leaders remain overwhelmed and unclear as to how to proceed. Years of investment in countering various forms of antisemitism have been proven inadequate. It should be clear by now that we need a new strategic approach and a comprehensive plan to enact it.

The post-Oct. 7 reality dictates a strategy that counters underlying ideological currents, places Jewish concerns in the context of broader American interests and upholds American and Western values. The current focus on antisemitism makes it appear that the strife on and off campus is a Jewish problem rather than an American problem. Antisemitism is low on the relevance scale for most Americans, but the health of American society is central. Based on our assessment of what went wrong, current survey data and key trends, we believe that the Jewish security is inextricably linked to firming up larger support for American values and a renewed commitment to the U.S.’s key geopolitical interests. We further argue that American Jewish organizations should prioritize work with new partners in civil society who share this mission and who should take center stage in effecting a larger cultural shift. In short, we believe the best defense against antisemitism is restoring the commitment of Americans to the nation’s founding principles under which American Jews and other minorities have thrived.

What went wrong?

The anti-Israel narrative — Israel as an apartheid, colonialist enterprise — gained limited support on college campuses over the past few decades. Yet trends in survey data indicate that while the anti-Israel narrative caused a slow erosion of support for Israel, the overwhelming majority of college students remained neutral and attitudes towards Jews were largely unaffected. In fact, the data through 2016 indicates that, even in the face of hostile campus rhetoric, most college students and most Americans cared little about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The issue was just not relevant to them and they remained in the “middle” — neither “core supporters” nor the “unreachable.” Likewise, antisemitism among college students remained low. Research indicated that the large group in the middle represented an opportunity as it could be swayed towards Israel once it was shown the broader face and humanity of the Israeli people.

So if the same anti-Israel narrative has been around for decades, what explains the dramatic increase in its acceptance now? Simply put, anti-Israel forces have found a way to make their cause relevant to a growing swath of Americans by linking it to the significant cultural and ideological shifts over the past ten years.

With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014 and changes in the social media landscape, a binary ideology that divides society into oppressors and oppressed, skyrocketed in popularity on campuses. Anti-Israel groups successfully aligned themselves with activist groups representing marginalized communities, thereby significantly expanding the cohort of young Americans sympathetic to their cause. For the first time, Jewish students found themselves excluded from student social justice activities due to their sympathies towards Israel.

In the heated aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, this binary, oppressor-oppressed ideology found new audiences outside campuses. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, which frequently enshrined the oppressor-oppressed ideology, gained broad-scale penetration into numerous mainstream institutions including business, government, media, science, medicine, culture, K-12 schools, etc. So while the State of Israel and, now, Jews are seen by many as white, privileged oppressors in a broad swath of institutions, Hamas is increasingly seen as a legitimate resistance movement representing the marginalized.

It is important to note that notwithstanding the titular expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, protests against Israel on U.S. campuses are about far more than the Jewish state. Instead, they are often part of a larger agenda that aims to reshape the power structure, dismantle the larger social order, defund the police, undermine the very notion of meritocracy and undo the market economy and concept of private property. Many protesters on campus explicitly cite this larger worldview as a motivation for their campus activism. 

Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that in the wake of Oct. 7, most surveys of young people show high levels of support for Palestinians/Hamas and declining support for Israel. The majority are no longer in the swayable middle. Moreover, for the first time since the Anti-Defamation League began measuring such trends, young Americans are more likely to believe antisemitic tropes than older Americans. In short, by aligning with cultural shifts occurring among the progressive left, anti-Israel forces — many representing extreme Islamist perspectives — have successfully made their narrative relevant to many young Americans.

While the Jewish community was busy maintaining support for Israel in the political arena, ideologues sought to and succeeded in changing the culture. We are now experiencing the downstream effects of our collective failure to counter dangerous cultural trends.

A strategic pivot

If Israel is to retain American support down the road and if Jews are to be safe in this country, then action must be taken to reverse these cultural shifts. For the most part, the Jewish community has responded to the post-Oct. 7th onslaught with well-funded efforts to counter antisemitism and anti-Zionism. It is not doing enough to make its case more relevant to Americans than it was years ago, unlike the anti-Israel camp, which broadened its appeal in the intersectional arena.

Yet there is good news amid the bad. In this highly charged environment, Israel and its allies have lost support among college students, but not among most Americans. Raucous anti-Israel protests on campuses have alarmed many Americans, who are concerned that these anarchists pose a clear and present danger to the U.S. The Jewish communal world needs to take a page from its enemies’ playbook and make its cause more broadly relevant by aligning with the significant percentage of Americans who believe in the American dream, oppose chaos and support the principled use of American power in the world. Jews represent only 2% of the American population; we cannot win this battle on our own.

The Jewish community needs to work with those who are already fighting back on various fronts and to catalyze the energies of those who may be concerned but are not yet taking action. The focus of such coalitional efforts must be on strengthening the American narrative and values, not on antisemitism or Israel. And these efforts need to be led by diverse American voices rather than Jewish groups, as they will be seen as more believable and less likely to have an agenda. In short, the Jewish community needs to lead from behind.

We are currently developing a white paper that lays out in greater detail the needed strategic shift and will be holding sessions in person and online in the coming months. For more information, email: americanvaluesstrategy@gmail.com