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saphronethaleph · 7 months ago

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Interservice Interstellar

“Would you look at that,” O’Neill said, shaking his head with a smile. “Hard to believe this is even something we’re putting together, huh?”

“I quite agree, sir,” Major Davis agreed. “First a fighter, and now this.”

“Exactly,” O’Neill nodded. “See, you get it, right? Six years ago we just had a big ring and no idea how to turn it on, and now we’ve got… this.”

He waved his hand at the under-construction X-303, a huge mass of alloy and heavy equipment, ensconced in its hidden hangar bay. “Our own all-up spaceship. And if Carter’s done anything like as well as she normally does, it’s going to be one hell of a ship, as well.”

Davis coughed.

“Bomber,” he said.

O’Neill glanced at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Bomber,” Davis replied.

“Bomber,” O’Neill repeated. “And what makes you say that, exactly?”

Davis raised a hand, then lowered it as O’Neill kept talking. “We are talking about six hundred feet of battlecruiser, with twelve missile tubes and sixteen railguns, eight fighters on board, a crew of over a hundred… the damn thing’s got a transporter ring station on it!”

“I don’t see how that makes it not a bomber, sir,” Davis replied. “There’s no actual maximum size on a bomber aircraft… I’m sure you’re familiar with, for example, the B-36?”

“Yeah, you know what they say about assumptions, but I’ve heard of it,” O’Neill conceded. “It wasn’t this big, though.”

“Whatever you say, sir,” Davis disagreed. “In addition, I should point out that there is no maximum size on what qualifies as a bomber crew, either. A crew of one hundred and fifteen is large, but the technical definition of bomber doesn’t have an upper limit.”

O’Neill shook his head.

“See, if you were Teal’c then I’d know if you were joshing me,” he said. “All right, then, if you’re going to insist… what about the weapons? If it’s a bomber, where are the… bombs?”

“I’ve been assured that the fighter bay doors open, and it’s possible to drop bombs out of them,” Davis said, with a slight shrug. “Early bombers didn’t have dedicated bomb bays-”

“-yeah, yeah, whatever,” O’Neill said, rubbing his temples. “I was going to get to those fighter bays, but first – doesn’t a bomber have to at least carry bombs?”

“First of all, there is precedent for designating an aircraft by a capability that isn’t the primary use capability,” Davis pointed out. “The F-117 is, by any reasonable definition, a bomber or an attack aircraft, but it can carry air to air missiles.”

O’Neill nodded.

“So, what, you’re saying this should be a fighter?” he asked. “The F-303?”

“No,” Davis said. “Because the bomber classification includes aircraft equipped with cruise or even ballistic missiles as primary weapons. For example, Skybolt was intended to be launched by the B-52 and that didn’t make it not a bomber, and the AGM-86 is launched from the B-52.”

O’Neill looked at him suspiciously.

“How long have you been preparing for a conversation like this?” he asked.

“I couldn’t possibly comment, sir,” Davis answered, with a shrug.

“Whatever,” O’Neill decided. “But what about the fighter bays? If anything they should make this a carrier.”

Davis made a face.

“Not at all,” he said. “It’s more esoteric, but the XF-85 Goblin was a parasite fighter design intended to be launched from the B-36, and-”

“And that didn’t make them not a bomber,” O’Neill parroted, making an opening-and-closing gesture with his hand and rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. And I guess you’re going to say that bombers have defensive turrets, too. But enough of that. Tell me why this isn’t a battlecruiser.”

“Because, sir,” Davis replied, quite matter-of-factly. “We’re the Air Force, not the Navy.”

O’Neill considered that for about five seconds.

“Good point,” he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at Davis. “Good point, well made. B-303, then.”

“Actually, we’re considering giving it the Tri-Service designation of Bomber, Cargo, 303,” Davis stated, deadpan. “Since it can carry so much materiel… BC-303, that is.”

O’Neill chuckled.

“Just make sure someone gets a photo of the Secretary of the Navy when he hears about this,” he requested.

#stargate #sg1 #jack oneill #interservice rivalry #the gou'ald are the opponents #the enemy is the US Navy

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wodeworm · 10 months ago

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Jinn king Al-Mudhib, the golden one

Jinn are supernatural beings hidden from human senses and perception. Once being a dominant force across much of the old world, now only being sequestered to the abandoned and desolate places of the desert, much of their history is mired in mystery and regularly disputed amongst scholars, with a multitude of types and classifications, with generally blurred lines between them. One thing that is agreed upon is that the relations with Jinn are highly varied, neither inherently bad nor good; some may have been helpful, being friendly and positive connections with humans, sharing wonderful mystic wisdom, while others can be deceitful shape shifters, which can possess people's bodies, driving them to madness. Amongst them are powerful kings and rulers, one of whom is Al-Mudhib, son of Iblis, a resplendent ruler of sun, fire, and precious metals with a penchant for devouring serpents, and hundreds of tribes under his thrall. offering unrivaled secrets of occult knowledge and esoteric magics, being able to educate in the transmutations of gold, and sharing astrological knowledge of the stars. This mighty lord is closely Surveilled by the angel Ruqiayil (Raphael) and was alive during the prodigious times of King Solomon.

https://archive.org/details/legendsoffirespi0000lebl/page/n5/mode/2up

#jinn #almudhib #king #creature #supernatural #occult #manuscript #folklore #mythology #digitalart #illustration #artists on tumblr

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toughaqua777 · 10 months ago

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Homestar Runner + SCP, Because Why Not?

Okay for context there was a post I can't find anymore that went like “Everyone from Homestar Runner is One Singular SCP! They all share a containment unit and hate every second of it!” and that got me thinking way too hard and even though I’m not an expert on SCP or anything I decided “So what would the classifications and all that be if that were the case?” And I just kinda dumped everything here so here we go (also plz note these are just my opinions and I only have a surface level understanding of SCP stuff so...yeah)

Facility Type: There’s the Site (known to public under disguises) and Area (not known to public at all). Already we have a dilemma. Free Country USA is technically known about, but its location on a map is undetermined. I like to think that maybe it was meant to be an Area, but via the website word got out. So it’s kinda in a limbo of a classification. It probably still has the name Area, though, and I’ll get to why below.

Facility Prefix: A seemingly obvious choice was Xenobiological (need I explain why?). But there’s a problem. Again, Free Country USA is technically in, well, the USA. But at the same time, it’s not in the real world; it’s likely its own dimension (hence Area). And while some of these characters can appear humanoid and may even act like regular people, I don’t think there’s enough “human” in all of them combined to have the Humanoid prefix. Ultimately, I decided that the Area is Xenobiological & Dimensional, since it’s on a Earth, but not our Earth.

Now let’s get to the SCP itself (themselves?). Oh boy.

Containment Class: More than likely Euclid. Everyone there can act and think on their own, so that’s basically the default, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be leaving their Earth for ours anytime soon. And/Or Esoteric, which brings us to the next section...

Secondary Class: Declassified. Hands-down. In case you don’t know what that means in this context: “Item has been revealed to the Foundation and/or public at large.” Look, they have their own website here. They have Flash cartoons. THEY HAVE A TWITTER. I think that’s enough said.

Clearance Level: Probably Level 1 [Unrestricted (US)]. I dunno, I just feel like at this point there’s no harm in knowing, since they’re Flash cartoons to us. Unless of course you count the knowledge of another Earth being an irl actuality warranting a higher Level, which it probably would; a Level 2 [Restricted (RS)] at least in that case.

Disruption Class: Either Dark or Vlam, but probably Dark. They aren’t dangerous to us, and they’re kinda already known by folks anyway. But then again, the knowledge of an alternate Earth actually existing would cause some alarm, hence why maybe Vlam.

Risk Class: Probably just Notice. Not much to say there.

#scp #SCP Foundation #Homestar Runner #hsr #i wrote all this like a year or two ago and it's been sitting in my drafts #might as well throw it out here lol

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httpsoftbunni · 3 months ago

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A Journey into the Occult Classification of Spirits

The spirit world has fascinated mystics, occultists, and philosophers for centuries. Across various traditions, spirits are classified in intricate and often cryptic ways. These entities range from demonic forces that challenge spiritual growth to more obscure, primal beings that transcend human understanding. In this post, we will explore the hidden realms and provide an in-depth examination of the spiritual entities within them, drawing from ancient and esoteric traditions.

*Please note this does not reflect my own personal beliefs, but rather knowledge and information I have been collecting throughout the years.*

Demons - The Rebellious Forces of the Invisible Realms

In true occult thought, demons are not just the simplistic, evil entities often depicted in mainstream religion. They are spiritual forces associated with the Qliphothic side of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, representing the shadows, hidden aspects of the self, and primal urges. In Kabbalah, demons are seen as the "shells" (Qliphoth), the fractured aspects of divine light, which have fallen into corruption and disorder. These beings challenge humanity’s inner strength, often serving as an occult mirror reflecting our deepest fears and unresolved desires.

The Lesser Key of Solomon (specifically the Ars Goetia) provides a system of sigils and rituals for working with these beings, but they are to be approached with caution. Their influence can lead to chaos, but also to transformation when understood correctly.

In the Mystery Traditions, demons are viewed as tempters and keepers of hidden wisdom—difficult to access, but offering great power for those who are able to integrate their teachings.

Daemons - Spiritual Intermediaries of the Human Soul

Unlike demons, daemons (from the Greek daimon) are spiritual intermediaries who guide the soul through the material and spiritual worlds. Rooted in Platonic thought, daemons are neither inherently good nor evil but serve as facilitators of human growth. In The Chaldean Oracles and other Neoplatonic writings, daemons are the entities that mediate between the gods and human beings, helping to facilitate the soul’s progression towards the divine.

They are often depicted as guides, offering wisdom, protection, and insight into the workings of the universe. Daemons can be understood as functioning within the soul’s natural unfolding, leading to greater self-awareness and spiritual ascension. In modern occultism, they are often associated with one’s True Will or higher self, guiding an individual toward their most authentic path.

Void Beings: Forces of Non-Being and Unmanifested Existence

Void beings are among the most esoteric and obscure entities within occult traditions. These beings are not merely ‘dark’ or ‘evil,’ but represent primordial forces of chaos and non-being, entities that exist in the space between creation and destruction. They are closely related to the concept of the Abyss in various occult traditions, such as the Qliphoth in Kabbalistic teachings. These beings exist outside of form and are often described as anti-creational forces.

In Thelemic occultism, the Void is a place where the soul must face its own nothingness before it can transcend and achieve unity with the divine. Lovecraftian horror, though highly sensationalized, has roots in the idea of the unknown and unknowable, tapping into the primal fear of encountering these non-manifest beings that challenge the very concept of existence. True encounters with void beings often occur during intense spiritual initiation, where the soul must confront its own annihilation.

Shadow Beings: Guardians of the Inner Darkness

Shadow beings represent the hidden, repressed aspects of the self. In Jungian psychology, the shadow is the unconscious part of the psyche, containing all that has been rejected or denied. In occult terms, shadow beings are the manifestations of these rejected aspects in the astral and ethereal planes. They are not inherently malevolent but are instead reflections of unresolved psychological trauma or unintegrated aspects of the soul.

These entities can be encountered during deep meditation, astral travel, or during times of psychic crisis. They act as a mirror, forcing individuals to confront their darker sides and integrate them into the greater whole. In some traditions, shadow beings are thought of as guardian spirits of the Underworld, acting as gatekeepers to deeper spiritual knowledge.

Trickster Spirits: Chaos, Transformation, and Perception

The trickster spirit archetype exists in nearly every occult tradition. They are entities that disrupt the known order, bending reality and perception, often revealing hidden truths through paradox. Trickster spirits can be found in many mythologies: Loki in Norse mythology, Hermes in Greek, and Coyote in Native American tradition.

In the occult, tricksters often embody the principle of chaos, challenging the individual to question reality and their own assumptions. They are viewed as transformative figures who break down the ego, forcing personal growth through disruption. While they are often seen as mischievous or deceptive, their actions often serve as spiritual lessons. The true nature of these entities is often hidden in layers of illusion, requiring the seeker to pierce through veils of trickery to attain enlightenment.

Astral Parasites: Energy Leechers and Psychic Vampires

Astral parasites are entities that feed off the life force, emotions, and energy of living beings. These can range from small, insidious entities to larger, more powerful beings that drain vitality and psychic power. In occultism, these parasites are often referred to as larvae, egregores, or astral vampires.

They can be the result of negative emotional energy or the byproduct of psychic disturbances, and they are often attached to individuals who are in states of emotional or spiritual vulnerability. Protection against astral parasites is a key part of many occult practices, including psychic shielding, spiritual cleansings, and rituals that remove negative attachments. Parasites can also be the product of unbalanced energy in ritual work, leading to the manifestation of entities that feed off the practitioner's emotions.

Egregores: The Collective Spirit of Thought

Egregores are thought-forms created by collective human energy. These entities are born from the collective will, belief, and focus of a group of people. In occult philosophy, egregores are considered powerful spiritual beings that gain autonomy once their collective energy reaches a certain threshold.

They are tied to the creation of organizations, religions, movements, or even nations. An egregore may serve a protective or guiding function, but when unchecked, it can become a destructive force. In the Grimoires and Ceremonial Magic, there are methods for creating and controlling egregores to serve particular purposes. The key to managing an egregore is maintaining control over the collective consciousness that birthed it.

Elementals: Spirits of the Four Elements

The concept of elemental spirits is deeply embedded in alchemical and occult traditions. These spirits are intimately tied to the physical elements of nature: earth, air, fire, and water. Gnomes guard the earth, sylphs govern the air, salamanders are associated with fire, and undines control water.

In alchemy, the elements are seen as the fundamental building blocks of both the material and spiritual world. The elementals help shape the forces of nature and are sometimes invoked in rituals to create harmony or balance. In Western esotericism, elementals are also viewed as guardians of specific locations or energies, and they serve as intermediaries in the process of spiritual transformation.

Djinn: Spirits of Fire and Transformation

Djinn, originating from pre-Islamic Arabian traditions and later incorporated into Islamic esotericism, are spirits created from smokeless fire. They are beings of incredible power, capable of both helping and hindering human beings. Djinn can possess, trick, or assist individuals, depending on their nature and the spiritual intentions behind their summoning.

In occult practice, djinn are often invoked for their transformative power. However, caution is advised, as they are known for their capriciousness. Djinn are sometimes seen as the spiritual beings that bridge the gap between the material world and the divine, offering great power but demanding respect and careful interaction.

The spirit world is not a simple realm of good and evil. It is a complex network of energies, forces, and entities that both challenge and guide us. Whether it’s the trickster spirits that force us to confront our illusions or the demonic forces that challenge us to master our inner chaos, the path to spiritual enlightenment is full of unknowns. But with understanding, discipline, and respect for the occult laws that govern these realms, one can navigate the spirit world and gain the transformative wisdom it has to offer.

#spirits #paranormal #spirtual #occultism #esoteric #occult #occultic knowledge #esoteric studies #esoterist #spiritual #mythology #mysticism

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agent-placeholder · 2 years ago

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I was leaning like. SCP classification class...

-Triage

Ohhhhh containment classes?? mb. YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. ok so basically theres three most common ones, five - seven main ones, and a bunch of other fancy custom customizations. Note that containment classes are NOT risk classes, which are somethiing else entirely. I will explain with the box metaphor, which goes something like this-

Safe - easiest to contain. if it goes in a box, it stays in the box just fine.

Euclid - medium containment challenge. if it goes in a box, it may or may not stay there.

Keter - high containment challenge. if it goes in a box, it WILL break out unless you have proper measures.

Additional ones include:

Thaumiel - an SCP that assists in containment. It IS the box. or the lock. or both.

Apollyon - can't be contained, and will probably cause the end of the world. only used in a few articles but is a pretty well known one so it deserves a mention. it does not fit in the box.

Archon - could be contained, but it shouldn't be for whatever reason, so it isnt. it COULD be put in a box, but thats not a good idea.

Explained - No longer deemed anomalous. upon closer inspection, it doesnt have to be put into a box.

Neutralized - anomalous effects? gone. it used to be in a box. it broke, so its not in a box now.

Decommisioned - neutralized anomalies that were purposefully destroyed by the Foundation. for whatever reason putting it in a box wasnt working out, so they took it out and took to it with a sledgehammer.

Theres a couple more, oh who am i kidding theres a lot more, and those are called esoteric classes. You can read about them more here because i would never stop typing if i had to explain all of them.

#scp

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sid099 · 4 days ago

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Behind the Scenes with Artificial Intelligence Developer

The wizardry of artificial intelligence prefers to conceal the attention to detail that occurs backstage. As the commoner sees sophisticated AI at work,near-human conversationalists, guess-my-intent recommendation software, or image classification software that recognizes objects at a glance,the real alchemy occurs in the day-in, day-out task of an artificial intelligence creator.

The Morning Routine: Data Sleuthing

The last day typically begins with data exploration. An artificial intelligence developers arrives at raw data in the same way that a detective does when he is at a crime scene. Numbers, patterns, and outliers all have secrets behind them that aren't obvious yet. Data cleaning and preprocessing consume most of the time,typically 70-80% of any AI project.

This phase includes the identification of missing values, duplication, and outliers that could skew the results. The concrete data point in this case is a decision the AI developer must make as to whether it is indeed out of the norm or not an outlier. These kinds of decisions will cascade throughout the entire project and impact model performance and accuracy.

Model Architecture: The Digital Engineering Art

Constructing an AI model is more of architectural design than typical programming. The builder of artificial intelligence needs to choose from several diverse architectures of neural networks that suit the solution of distinct problems. Convolutional networks are suited for image recognition, while recurrent networks are suited for sequential data like text or time series.

It is an exercise of endless experimentation. Hyperparameter tuning,tweaking the learning rate, batch size, layer count, and activation functions,requires technical skills and intuition. Minor adjustments can lead to colossus-like leaps in performance, and thus this stage is tough but fulfilling.

Training: The Patience Game

Training an AI model tests patience like very few technical ventures. A coder waits for hours, days, or even weeks for models to converge. GPUs now have accelerated the process dramatically, but computation-hungry models consume lots of computation time and resources.

During training, the programmer attempts to monitor such measures as loss curves and indices of accuracy for overfitting or underfitting signs. These are tuned and fine-tuned by the programmer based on these measures, at times starting anew entirely when initial methods don't work. This tradeoff process requires technical skill as well as emotional resilience.

The Debugging Maze

Debugging is a unique challenge when AI models misbehave. Whereas bugs in traditional software take the form of clear-cut error messages, AI bugs show up as esoteric performance deviations or curious patterns of behavior. An artificial intelligence designer must become an electronic psychiatrist, trying to understand why a given model is choosing something.

Methods such as gradient visualization, attention mapping, and feature importance analysis shed light on the model's decision-making. Occasionally the problem is with the data itself,skewed training instances or lacking diversity in the dataset. Other times it is architecture decisions or training practices.

Deployment: From Lab to Real World

Shifting into production also has issues. An AI developer must worry about inference time, memory consumption, and scalability. A model that is looking fabulous on a high-end development machine might disappoint in a low-budget production environment.

Optimization is of the highest priority. Techniques like model quantization, pruning, and knowledge distillation minimize model sizes with no performance sacrifice. The AI engineer is forced to make difficult trade-offs between accuracy and real-world limitations, usually getting in their way badly.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Deploying an AI model into production is merely the beginning, and not the final, effort for the developer of artificial intelligence. Data in the real world naturally drifts away from training data, resulting in concept drift,gradual deterioration in the performance of a model over time.

Continual monitoring involves the tracking of main performance metrics, checking prediction confidence scores, and flagging deviant patterns. When performance falls to below satisfactory levels, the developer must diagnose reasons and perform repairs, in the mode of retraining, model updates, or structural changes.

The Collaborative Ecosystem

New AI technology doesn't often happen in isolation. An artificial intelligence developer collaborates with data scientists, subject matter experts, product managers, and DevOps engineers. They all have various ideas and requirements that shape the solution.

Communication is as crucial as technical know-how. Simplifying advanced AI jargon to stakeholders who are not technologists requires infinite patience and imagination. The technical development team must bridge business needs to technical specifications and address the gap in expectations of what can and cannot be done using AI.

Keeping Up with an Evolving Discipline

The area of AI continues developing at a faster rate with fresh paradigms, approaches, and research articles emerging daily. The AI programmer should have time to continue learning, test new approaches, and learn from the achievements in the area.

It is this commitment to continuous learning that distinguishes great AI programmers from the stragglers. The work is a lot more concerned with curiosity, experimentation, and iteration than with following best practices.

Part of the AI creator's job is to marry technical astuteness with creative problem-solving ability, balancing analytical thinking with intuitive understanding of complex mechanisms. Successful AI implementation "conceals" within it thousands of hours of painstaking work, taking raw data and turning them into intelligent solutions that forge our digital destiny.

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healing-meditation · 2 years ago

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Angelic Realms: Discovering the Hierarchies of Angels

Angels, ethereal entities regarded as messengers of the divine, have intrigued and inspired humanity since time immemorial. The belief in angels spans across various cultures and religions, each interpreting their existence and roles differently. Within these interpretations are intricate hierarchies and classifications of angels, referred to as angelic realms, which delineate their powers, purposes, and proximities to the divine.

The Celestial Hierarchies

The Christian conceptualization of angels predominantly relies on the Celestial Hierarchy proposed by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th century. The hierarchy, a three-tiered system, divides angels into nine orders or choirs, grouped into three triads.

First Triad:

Seraphim: The closest to God, their name means “the burning ones,” symbolizing their intense love and light. They sing the praises of the Lord and represent divine wisdom and love.

Cherubim: Bestowers of divine wisdom and guardians of God’s glory, often depicted with multiple wings and faces.

Thrones: Channels of divine authority and justice, serving as instruments of God’s will.

Second Triad:

Dominions: Hold authority over lower choirs, implementing divine orders and regulating angelic duties.

Virtues: Bestow grace and blessings, channeling divine power to govern the natural world.

Powers: Warrior angels, defenders of the cosmos against evil and keepers of celestial order.

Third Triad:

Principalities: Guardians of nations and rulers, inspiring them to implement divine plans.

Archangels: Messengers of divine decrees to humanity, each having a unique role, like Michael, the protector, and Gabriel, the messenger.

Angels: Closest to humans, guardians and guides, delivering divine assistance and messages.

Judaism and the Angelic Realms

Judaism, another faith with rich angelic lore, portrays angels as agents of God, delivering messages and executing divine will. Jewish texts like the Book of Enoch elaborate on angelic hierarchies and their respective roles. In Judaism, angels like Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel are often mentioned, each serving different divine purposes.

Islamic Perspective on Angels

In Islam, angels are created from light and are inherently obedient to God. They have specific functions, such as delivering revelations (Jibril or Gabriel), recording human deeds (Kiraman Katibin), and taking human souls (Azrael). Islamic theology emphasizes the unquestioning obedience of angels, and they do not possess free will, acting solely on divine commands.

Angelic Realms in Other Beliefs

Various other cultures and religions have their unique interpretations and classifications of angelic entities. For instance, Zoroastrianism features divine entities like Amesha Spentas, who are manifestations of God's attributes. Hinduism, with its plethora of divine beings, has entities like Apsaras and Gandharvas performing roles similar to those of angels in other traditions.

Understanding through Esotericism and Mysticism

Esoteric traditions and mysticism offer diverse perspectives on angelic realms, focusing on personal spiritual experiences and inner knowledge. These traditions often emphasize the potential for human interaction with angels, facilitating spiritual growth, guidance, and enlightenment. Through meditation, prayer, and other spiritual practices, individuals can purportedly connect with angels, experiencing their grace and wisdom.

Angelic Symbolism and Metaphor

Beyond literal interpretations, angelic realms also serve as rich metaphors and symbols, representing aspects of human consciousness and spiritual evolution. Angels can symbolize purity, love, and divine connection, serving as archetypal images inspiring artistic expressions, philosophical reflections, and mystical experiences. The hierarchies and orders of angels can represent various stages and aspects of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, guiding the human soul on its celestial journey.

The Evolution of Angelic Perceptions

Throughout history, perceptions of angels and their hierarchies have evolved, reflecting changes in religious, philosophical, and cultural landscapes. While traditional religions offer structured hierarchies and roles for angels, contemporary spirituality often embraces more fluid and personalized understandings of angelic entities. New Age movements, for example, focus on individual angelic encounters and messages, emphasizing personal transformation and divine connection.

Personal Exploration and Discovery

Discovering and understanding the angelic realms can be a deeply personal journey, involving study, reflection, and experiential exploration. By exploring various cultural and religious perspectives, individuals can gain insights into the multifaceted nature of angels and their significance in the human spiritual quest. Whether approached as literal beings, metaphors, or archetypal symbols, angels continue to illuminate the human spirit, offering glimpses of the divine and the infinite possibilities of spiritual existence.

youtube

Música Angelical para Atraer a los Ángeles - 963Hz para la Conexión Divina - Auras de Luz

Conclusion

The intricate tapestries of angelic realms, woven through the threads of various religions and cultures, present a rich and diverse exploration of the divine. From structured hierarchies in Christianity to the obedient messengers in Islam, angels represent the multifarious ways humanity perceives and connects with the celestial and the sacred. Whether one seeks to understand angels through religious texts, mysticism, or personal spiritual exploration, the angelic realms remain a fascinating and enlightening aspect of human spiritual heritage, echoing the eternal human longing for the divine.

By embracing the myriad interpretations and representations of angels, individuals can embark on a transformative journey, exploring the spiritual landscapes within and beyond, discovering the divine whispers in the rustle of ethereal wings.

#angel #angles #ream #Youtube

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dailycharacteroption · 3 years ago

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Class Feature Friday: Amulet Implement (Pathfinder Second Edition Thaumaturge Implement)

(art by Angelina Andreas on Artstation)

A sort of fusion of the concepts of the 1st edition Occultist class and the Inquisitor, the Thaumaturge class is all about learning every bit of lore about the supernatural as possible, regardless of it’s veracity, in hopes that something will work. What’s more, much like the occultist of yore, their own psychic power empowers the tools and trinkets they utilize, either giving truth to the folklore surrounding them, or pushing them beyond even that.

A key part of the thaumaturge class is their choice of implements, which come in a myriad of forms, but cover some core concepts. The thaumaturge can gain up to three classifications of implements, but naturally their first gains all the associated abilities, while the second and third never achieve full mastery.

In any case, our first subject today is the amulet. Whether this is an actual occult symbol of protection worn around the neck, a more mundane necklace, or some symbol of luck or protection such as a rabbit’s foot, amulets as a general rule represent protection and good luck, warding away misfortune from the wearer. In occult symbolism in the Pathfinder setting, they are associated with the Harrow suit of Shields, the cosmic caravan sign of the Bridge, and the Tian zodiac sign of the Ogre.

True to their nature as wards of protection, the thaumaturge can invoke the amulet to ward themselves or others nearby against the violence of the target of their focus, and with a reflexive action, they can dampen the incoming damage of an attack.

Later on, the amulet provides lingering protection after the initial surge, warding them from further similar attacks.

By presenting the amulet to the foe they are focusing on exploiting the vulnerabilities of, they can also improve their own protections so that attacks are harder to land on them for a brief moment.

Thaumaturges that choose the amulet as their primary implement can even ward entire groups, protecting them from even area effect attacks, if need be, and providing them with lingering protection even if the initial warding would have blocked all damage.

Additionally, the following feats suit the thaumaturge quite well: Root to Life, Esoteric Warden, Turn Away Misfortune, Shared Warding, Esoteric Reflexes, and Seven-Part Link. Others may be useful as well depending on your build.

With the focus on reducing and warding against damage, this implement is a major boon for any thaumaturge that is concerned with keeping themselves and others alive in addition to defeating the monsters in the night. Even if it’s not your first implement, it can prove quite useful for keeping allies in the fight.

While this is true of almost every implement, amulets are often jewelry, and jewelry often has a lot of emotional history attached to them. Does the amulet truly belong to the thaumaturge? Who owned it originally? What sort of emotions are tied to it? These questions are quite useful to answer from a lore and backstory perspective, not just for amulets, but any implement, really.

The Moon Sliver is a well-known silver amulet fitted with moonstones and what is supposedly a tear of the moon itself, and has a long history of being used by those who face werewolves and other lycanthropes. Curiously, however, the amulet always seems to find itself in human hands across it’s long history, almost as if it prefers bearers of that ancestry. Finding out exactly why means digging into the forgotten lore of the amulet’s origins.

Wearing the wedding rings of her mother and father, a janni and a mortal respectively, Shavi can feel their love wherever she goes, and her belief in that love protects her as she wanders the land, seeking rumor of divs, ghuls, and other monstrous beings to destroy.

In the hands of a charlatain like the original owner, a tangled necklace of holy symbols subverts the very idea of protection one associates with such things… but even if he was a liar and apostate preying upon the desperate, the faith of those he robbed was very real, making it very valuable to those versed in the occult.

#pathfinder 2nd edition #thaumaturge #amulet #implement #lycanthrope #human #janni #suli #Dark Archive

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alexanders-pokemon-adventure · 2 years ago

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Form the desk of Prof. Apricot

Empowered Human Classification, and Scaling.(E.H.C.S)

“Humans are pokemon and the insistence that we are not has limited our view on what our species can do . I plan to change that. often the first step in understanding is classification and in this list, I hope to provide a framework for myself and others to understand themselves in relationship to other. My framework is not meant to act as a hard set of rules but as a guideline for other set themseld in and in doing so discover .”

-Quoted form Professor Abigail Apricot

Categories

-categories describe the nature and source of the where anomalous abilities possesed by empowered human come from .

Type : Humans who express characteristics associated with the common type categories used to group pokemon. Such as resistance to certain types of attacks or expressing abilities possess by pokemon of said type(s).The most commonly documented are Esper categories as Psychic type , followed by Mystics categories as Ghost type and Aura master’s categories as Fighting. Others of this categories have been documented but most are too ambiguous to categorize more specifical .

Make up roughly 70% of documents empowered humans

Ability(other): humans who possess abilities or qualities of Non-type specificity but out side of base line human ability. The most commonly documented are humans who possess resilience to various kinds of damage, and humans able to process energy transfers from pokemon such as heal pules ,helping hand and etc but other more specific abilities have been documented. Empower humans abilities in this category tend to be hereditary by nature.

Make up roughly 28% of documented empowered human

Modified: humans who developed abilities by being physically modified by outer forces , generally from exposure to esoteric energies ,biological agents, or genetic modification. Generally expressed similar to the “Type” category Modified humans vary greatly in nature and don’t generally posses overarching trends from person to person.

Make up roughly 1% of documented empowers humans

Blessed: Humans who’ve through the will of a legendary have been “gifted” abilities. The exact mechanism from which this occurs are not fully understood but through unknown means “legendaries” appear able to generate self sustaining matrices of energies in humans that through training or triggers allows the human receiver to produce anomalous effects. Some in this category expressed abilities completely unrelated to the being that gave them their abilities while others claim to channel power directly from them.

Make up roughly 0.5-1% of documented empowered human.

Level

-Level describes degree of application of ability possess by empowered humans

Alpha : varied applications generally unrelated to outer factors

Make up roughly 5% of documented empowered human.

Beta:set applications depending on outer factors

Make up roughly 15% of documented empowered human.

Gamma:one applications depending on outer factors

Make up roughly 20% of documented empowered human.

Delta : extremely limited or no application

Make up roughly 60% of documented empowered human.

#pokemon #pkmn #alexander’s pokémon adventure #Prof Apricot #pokemon blog #pokemon ask blog #pokemon headcannons #pokemon roleplay #pokemon rp #pokemon irl #irl pokemon

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acongressofowls · 3 years ago

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So for the past 2 weeks I’ve been seeing owls EVERYWHERE, I mean left right and Center. Maybe 15 times a day and sometimes it’ll be so extreme as the other day at the grocery store where “owl” appeared just as a word on someone’s fb post and at the very moment a lady walked past me wearing an owl scarf. looking up owl symbology is a labyrinth because it means soooo many different things.( I Googled owl symbology and that’s how I found your page actually) could you express to me how you see the🦉

Owls as omens and symbols have a variety of meanings depending upon the cultural or spiritual tradition one wants to examine. In mainstream, modern western tradition owls generally symbolize wisdom and knowledge, generally attributed to the owl's association with Athena, the ancient/classical Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare (amongst other purviews). In artistic depictions, Athena is often accompanied by a species of owl known as the little owl or owl of Athena, scientific classification Athene noctua.

Globally, owls as nocturnal predators are more generally regarded as ill omens, whether seeing an owl or hearing one. In certain eastern European, Native American, and Celtic traditions, owls are often viewed as omens and harbingers of death, and are sometimes described even as a kind of psychopomp, accompanying or guiding souls on their journey to the afterlife. In some Middle Eastern and North African traditions, owls were seen as especially dangerous to children, either carrying children away at night or killing infants with their cries, and were sometimes considered to be or represent the souls of the restless dead. Many traditions and superstitions, including in the United States, also associate owls negatively with witches.

I don't know your own cultural lens or beliefs, but I obviously like owls and personally don't associate them with anything negative. Esoterically I tend more towards their place in western/Greek tradition, and associate owls with wisdom, knowledge, and mysticism more generally as creatures of the night. As animals, I think they look neat and cute and have a lot of personality.

I'm a little jealous you're seeing so many owls in your life. Outside of zoos, I have seen maybe only a handful in person over my lifetime. As to why you're noticing so many, besides any mystical or symbolic explanations, you might consider the frequency illusion, also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. Basically, once you have learned or noticed something, there is a sensation of suddenly seeing or noticing it everywhere. Not because the object of the illusion is actually occurring more frequently around you, those occurences (or in this case, owls) have always existed and been there, you've simply become more aware of them after your initial encounter.

Unless you have reason to believe otherwise, such as your own beliefs or any potential environmental reasons that might cause owls to show up in these numbers (assuming that is unusual in your area), I’d say you’re just really lucky to be seeing so many owls.

#asks #owl #owls #superstition #semiotics #esoteric #mysticism #symbolism

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spiritualgateway · 4 years ago

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You are your own creation

written by Steven Black:

At least since „Seth“, we all know the famous sentence: „You are the creator of your own reality. “

Fine.

But we usually overlook the most important point, namely the center of where everything happens.

OUR SELF!

The very personal kind of evaluations we make about ourselves creates our human personality. The identity as which we know and experience ourselves. This is how it manifests itself. Our stream of evaluations leads to patterns of conviction and to a certain belief structure. And with this we then identify ourselves, which sets a certain dynamic in motion through which we will attract and experience certain things.

The core of the center lies in what we believe about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves and how we think about ourselves. This in turn is closely related to what kind of experiences we have already had. And how we have then judged these experiences. If we really want to understand the phrase – „You are the creator of your own reality“ – then it is valuable if we look at the stream of evaluation that we generate about ourselves throughout our lives. Second by minute, day by week for months for years and decades.

The person we are now is the product of many years of incessant evaluations and definitions about ourselves.

Sure, before we are born, we put together a kind of blueprint – with certain character traits, talents and inclinations, in order to be able to have certain experiences. And of course, when we come to Earth, we go through an imprinting process that will activate this Blueprint. We go through education by parents and the school system, learn cultural, social and societal collective beliefs and much more. In this way we learn to think in a certain way and to classify things, circumstances, people and situations – we adopt the definitions and evaluations that have been given to us.

In fact, it is only the basic training for being human at the moment, it is not the „wisdom last resort“.

Much more important for our human experience are our judgements about ourselves – which we make again and again (mostly very unconsciously) permanently. We constantly make comparisons and constantly generate our very personal interpretations about other people, life, our experiences and ourselves. And this, of course, first on the basis of what we have been taught.

All these interpretations, evaluations and definitions flow to what we call the subconscious and bundle there into beliefs (beliefs). This is called programming; this is how a program is written – and it is we ourselves who write it. Minute by minute for hour for day, months and years.

Beliefs become a program that works continuously without us having to consciously think about things. Belief systems are automatically formed after a certain amount or load of (good or bad) evaluations we have made about our experiences. Beliefs are nothing more than a condensation of evaluation streams that accumulate within us over time.

Each one of us is a creative soul, each one creates his own reality – without exception. And we create with the highest possible commitment: with ourselves.

However we evaluate ourselves, whatever beliefs and ideas we may develop about ourselves – we ourselves bear the consequences. Because we will then have to live this idea we have about ourselves.

We usually believe that it is only our experiences – the good and the less good – that influence our ways of thinking and acting. This is only partly true – I mean, of course experiences shape us. But much more important for the subsequent shaping is our personal evaluation of the perceptions and experiences we have made. For an impressive imprint a certain form of meaning is necessary. Meanings do not exist „just like that“, a meaning is created by weighting. By different evaluations within a certain context and by the feeling or an emotion that co-creates this evaluation. I have to evaluate things in order for them to have a meaning for me personally. This means that the meaning that any things, situations, people, and diverse experiences have for us is co-determined and shaped by ourselves.

Of course, when we are young and inexperienced, we will usually „blindly“ follow the definitions and evaluations that we have been taught. No matter how good, healthy, disabling, limiting or valuable they are. As we get older, we will probably realize at some point how many of these are not really ours. Then, at some point, we will probably make adjustments and think differently.

For example, if we often had the experience of being criticized as a child, we will develop an „inner critic“ over time. Considering the fact that there is a psychological study that says that a child up to the age of 5 is criticized about 40,000 times, we can safely assume that almost everyone develops an „inner critic“. The „Inner Critic“ emerges as a kind of protective function for the child.

He criticizes with the „good intention“ of sparing the child further criticism, which of course does not work. The Inner Critic is usually associated with a parent’s voice or that of another important caregiver. And what they say must be true, right? We quickly make the experience that we can rarely meet the requirements and so we develop additional feelings of guilt and shame. The heard criticism, together with the emotional reaction in us, leads to an often traumatic impact in our consciousness. The more often this happened, the more often we were criticized, the more often we felt shame about it, the more a conviction structure condenses and bundles itself in us, which approximately says: You are not valuable, you are not enough, you are … blah-blah-blah. We then believe that.

The vehemence and psychological scope of this „inner critic“ may vary individually, but the point is: You create a thought form that will accompany you and tell you unpleasant things about yourself until you start to stop and find a way to stop it. Because – you are hitting yourself …

In eastern spiritual traditions the „monkey mind“ has been blamed for centuries. The „stupid (monkey) mind“ that just does what it wants – as if it had its own life and its own decisions that have nothing to do with you. The solution to this problem was then – just don’t judge anymore. This is in my eyes a very immature idea, because the mind has no own ideas and no own consciousness – it is a function, like a kind of operating system, which does, repeats and executes what WE have given it to work. Our brain works with what it is offered.

And if we keep making devaluations about ourselves, what will keep coming up?

No matter how much other people may criticize you. No one can criticize you as badly, rob you of your own value and strength as you rob yourself. The consequence of this will be that we will be plagued by countless fears, physical tensions and insecurities – which will of course also be triggered by the outer world. The outer world always reflects our inner world in a special way. If you get criticism from the outside, it will most likely bring up the old shame inside you, which reflects the conviction that you are worth nothing. This in turn will throw up another chain of self-critical thoughts, which are usually suppressed as quickly as possible.

As long as we are still unconscious, we will devalue the other and call him an asshole because he makes us feel that way. But it really hits us, because deep inside of us there is a conviction that correlates – even if only a little – with this criticism. That’s why it hurts, because something in us says – that’s right. No matter how wrong that may be. It is inside of us. The person in question may still be an asshole, but he is not responsible for how I feel about it. The statements trigger and activate the content, which we ourselves have already evaluated countless times in this or similar ways (for whatever reason) and also hide it from ourselves. If this is touched, it hurts. If we had no subject with it, it would not hurt so much.

But you only check it after you have worked your ass off on your topic. Not before – as long as we are only focused on the outer world and its dynamics, we are more likely to make classifications and evaluations that are based on a victim and perpetrator spiral. Me, the poor victim and the evil perpetrator.

Sure, from the outside it looks the same in its EFFECT. But there is always a complex dynamic behind it that has unfolded. We can either learn something important about ourselves from it or we simply repeat and repeat and repeat this dynamic. And we will repeat it if we are not aware of it.

I know this has been a very strong example of how you create your own reality. An example that can show us that the esoteric idea that everyone creates their reality quasi-consciously is quite unrealistic. We create a lot of unconscious dynamics and weird behaviors because at some point we just didn’t know better. Because basically nobody taught us how to deal with ourselves. And so it is in most cases, life is based on trial and error dynamics when we know very little about how our own system operates.

As long as we do not deal with our own consciousness and inner world, we simply take for „God-given“ who we are and how we think about ourselves. So much mindfuck accumulates there and also the images and ideas we have about relationships, success, money, politics and thousands of other ideas are based on various evaluations and definitions that we have very rarely questioned. Most of the time they simply do not apply (anymore).

As you can see, we are actually deep inside the topic of „self-love“ (whatever that may mean).

Namely: How do I deal with myself?

How we think about ourselves, how we evaluate ourselves and how we feel with ourselves has an enormous importance for our personal development. It also has a great influence on which connections our brain synapses develop, which ones we expand or whether some of them are broken at all. The state of our brain and all its connections correlate closely with our thoughts and emotions, as well as our actions.

The axis of meaning

We cannot do without ratings!

I have to rate something as great, exciting, important, boring, euphoric, insignificant, desirable, aborting, likeable, good or bad (etc; etc.) in order for it to have this meaning for me at all. Through evaluations, like „yes, I like“ or „no you, don’t bother“. Evaluations, how difficult or easy the respective situation is or was for us to cope with. Ratings, how to deal with it in the future – acceptance, affirmation or avoidance. These evaluations are made on the basis of permanent comparisons between past and present. And they are extrapolated to future developments. This feeds our expectations of how things will happen in the future …

As mentioned above, there are of course also meanings whose context has been shaped by other people or society. Because they are simply taken over and regarded as „given facts“. Every meaning has a kind of weight. How heavy it is depends on how important we consider those who taught and taught us various meanings. But a really strong weight they get from us, if it really concerns us and we make an experience about it. Until then, it has more of an abstract meaning, the weight of which has been shaped by others.

The weighting of a meaning is usually only given when we have experience with it and have repeatedly given the same or at least similar evaluations of it. OR relatively quickly, as soon as we are violently „hit“ by an emotional wave – positive or negative in nature.

EMOTION IS A RESPONSE TO WHATEVER WE BELIEVE IS TRUE

Every emotion and feeling is a reflection of the energy of negative or positive judgement that we have defined and put into it. Emotions are reaction patterns that show us what we believe in. We condition the way we feel. And this means that a feeling or an emotion does not necessarily have to be true. But it feels very, very true. Sometimes so true, so devastating, depressing and depressingly true that you get stuck in it for a long time. You can also forget about the highly praised „gut feeling“ – because that too is based on resonances that have a connection to any kind of meaning and judgement. Sometimes they are correct, sometimes they are just avoidance, rejection or fear. Also „gut feeling“ is something you can only rely on if you are emotionally relatively clear.

Emotions contain a certain definition, the core of which is a wide range of evaluations that have formed into a conviction. This is the origin, the root of all emotions and also the reason why emotions can sometimes be violent and so overwhelming. The content cascade of countless mental and emotional evaluations is so extensive that we can feel overwhelmed by the respective charge of emotion. Emotions are the first and fastest reaction of our system to flush content – i.e. information from the subconscious – upwards. Imagine if all the thoughts and evaluations we have ever made on a topic suddenly appeared in our waking consciousness – I think that would be much more confusing.

That is why I never tire of emphasizing the value of feeling work. When I am „buried“ by emotional things, I sit down and sit with the emotion – I follow it to the center of (my own) hell. At some point the tangle of meaning unravels and I understand the definition behind it. And then I have the opportunity to see – is this now REALLY true? If so, is it still true now? Very often there are unresolved issues that reach far back into childhood. An emotion that hits you now can be an original situation or experience from childhood, with all the definitions given to it, some of which have – even if only slight – similarities to the current situation. The similarity is enough to trigger the emotional field.

Knowing the definition allows me to make a new assessment – either to reinforce and respond to it or to add a new perspective. This allows me to update my emotional content and my evaluation stream. In order for this to work, I have to sit with the emotion in question until it is halfway discharged. Charge = all of the given evaluations and received feelings. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes it can take months or even years. If energy has been put into something for years, it does not dissolve overnight.

Our assessments are rarely made by purely cognitive, logical or clear, sober conclusions alone. We judge situations not only by factual and cognitive criteria, but also how we feel about them. How we feel with it in turn directly reflects our underlying thoughts and beliefs. And the respective emotional perception will in turn lead to certain thoughts and evaluations about them. In this way, our beliefs are condensed. All of this flows incessantly into our „subconscious“, this is how we write our story.

We not only evaluate, we also evaluate our evaluations and our emotions in addition. This reinforces the whole pattern even more. So most of our evaluations have become „self-runners“. We do not question them. They simply continue.

We evaluate almost every perception, every thought, every feeling, every emotion:

The sky is blue – feels good. It is raining – rather bad. It is hot – shit. It is cold – shit. I have to go to work – fuck. The neighbor – is friendly, sexy, annoying, exhausting, cheeky, creepy – whatever. I am in a relationship – super. I’m in a relationship – my god, what was I thinking? A look in the mirror shows – I’m too thin, too fat, too big, too small, have too big/small breasts, have too little/too many muscles, everyone else looks better/worse than me.

I like Rock ’n Roll music/all brass music lovers are morons. Classical music is for snobs. My boyfriend/girlfriend has left me – my god, it feels so shitty/ jeez, I’m so glad about that. I have no money in the bank – my life is boring. I have no money in the bank – at least I don’t have any debts.

There are thousands of different evaluations we make about ourselves and things. The beliefs we have accumulated over the course of our lives are so deeply rooted in us that we are not even aware of them. This happens so fast within us that we are very, very rarely consciously aware of it. We simply take them as a given reality and overlook the fact that we ourselves formed this reality. With our evaluations we condition our personal reality and the kind of person we are. How we evaluate ourselves forms the personality we perceive ourselves as. The personality that we are attracts certain experiences because of their belief patterns. So yes, we all create our own reality …

As we evaluate, so do things appear to us. No matter what kind of beliefs we have, they tend to confirm themselves. We always find confirmation of what we believe.

Of course, we always have the choice to say – „well, I don’t like my reality and I’m going to sit in my corner defiantly, it’s not my fault“. Mostly, however, life forces us to continue learning, to adapt and to change. Sometimes in an absolutely unpleasant way – through pain, trauma or we are confronted with difficult diseases. With everything that gives us the opportunity to pause and realize that we have to go INSIDE to face the many challenges of human existence. Mostly we will only emerge stronger if we redefine ourselves.

No matter why we get stuck in something – we ourselves are the root. Only from there change can happen. If we do not change ourselves, our life, our reality, cannot change.

Alright! Then I just start to think differently!

Good luck with it.

Will not work.

Forget it!

I mean, if you don’t have a big issue with it, if you don’t have a serious emotional charge attached to it – then, yes, it can work. At least it’s a small start. But if that’s not the case, you will just have many and long „discussions“ and arguments against one of your „inner voices“. You will not win this fight this way. This is war with yourself and will only aggravate your inner condition.

Our evaluations are a decision from which perspective we choose to see things. Of course, this means that we can make and give other, new decisions, i.e., new evaluations regarding EVERYTHING. But as long as we have not discharged „the old“, as long as we are not clear about the definitions we have made – about whatever – we will be maltreated by the „old stuff“ of our old creation. That is the incredible power we have, we make LIVING and experiencing what we believe. And what we believe in, comes about through our very personal stream of evaluation.

The experience of our human personality is a flowing process that is never really complete, because there are so many possibilities and perspectives that we can experience ourselves again and again. We are not a rigid, fixed matter – it sometimes only appears that way. There is a lot of room to readjust or change that. It is possible to make new, better, clearer evaluations about ourselves. But sometimes this is one of the hardest transformation processes one can undergo.

Refine your inner world and you refine your reality

Basically we are never „finished“ unless we stop learning.

Until next time same station

DISCLAIMER:

Nothing you read here is THE truth. It is my truth, my perception and how I see things – now, in this moment.

THE INFORMATION SPACE

#creation #spiritual

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cryptid-killjoy · 4 years ago

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About The Marassa

Source Link

The Marassa, Vodou’s sacred twins, are spirits of paradox:

They are two distinct bodies who share one soul (or they are one soul with two bodies).

They are opposites who are simultaneously the same.

They are yin and yang, and yet they are one.

They are mirror reflections, but they represent both sides of the mirror.

They are the Creator’s very first children as well as the very first dead.

The Marassa rule thresholds; they span divides; they encompass, embody, and resolve contradictions. Their name derives from a Kikongo word, Mabasa, meaning “those who come divided” or “the one who comes as two.”

They are mystic, sacred, powerful, mysterious spirits. They are children, but they are ancient. The Marassa are profoundly potent healers and guardians of children. Do you want children? The Marassa provide and protect fertility, too. If asked, they will guard babies in the womb and oversee the childbirth process.

Of course, what is reproduction but the union of polarities? It takes two to make three. Another of the Marassa’s paradoxes is that “the one who comes as two” may really come as three. In esoteric Vodou cosmology, twins are perceived as incomplete. They await the third who completes them, the delayed triplet. The twins are forerunners of this third. The single child born after twins is considered even more magically powerful.

The Marassa are traditionally fed and represented by special three-chambered ritual bowls, one chamber per child. The bowls are also emblematic of procreation and generation: yin and yang, male and female, opposing energies will create a third.

The Marassa typically manifest as rambunctious, capricious, playful but demanding children. Traditionally the first lwa honored at Vodou ceremonies (after invocation of Papa Legba, gatekeeper of the spirits), the Marassa race in like children who can’t wait to get to where they’re going. They crave sugar, toys, and treats. It is crucial to recall that although the Marassa resemble children, they are not children but potent spirits who like to manifest in the guise of children. Devotees are sometimes tempted to parent or discipline them. Don’t. The Marassa don’t need vitamins, vegetables, or anything “good” for children. Attempts to parent them may indicate to the Marassa that you have forgotten their true sacred nature.

Powerful and responsible spiritual bodyguards, they may be invoked to guard children. The Marassa love children and may spontaneously assume guardianship. They are also superb, enthusiastic guardians for toy stores, candy stores, commercial spaces specializing in children’s birthday parties, any kind of place that fills children with joy. Set up an offering table for the Marassa and request that they protect the establishment and keep business booming.

The Marassa’s personal feast day, 28 December, coinciding with the Roman Catholic Feast of the Massacre of the Holy Infants, is devoted to:

Protection of living children.

Celebration and commemoration of children who have died.

Solace and comforting the families of dead children.

Traditional rituals include a big party honouring the Marassa. Invite lots of children and encourage them to be proxies for the Marassa, stand-ins who help consume offerings of cakes, cookies, and soda.

The Marassa are sometimes considered the children of Saint Nicholas and the lwa Clairmesine. A standard chromolithograph of Saint Nicholas depicts him standing beside two children inside a tub. Sometimes there is a third who kisses his foot. These children are interpreted as the Marassa and the third child.

The Marassa have the attention span of spoiled kids. Do not make them wait for promised offerings. They are not vicious or violent spirits but will throw some major hissy fits and tantrums. It is also crucial to treat them equally or they may get jealous and fight; never offer just one slice of cake, for instance. Either give sufficient quantity for sharing (a big bowl of individually wrapped candies, fudge cut into numerous squares) or clearly delineate a share for each. Marassa usually manifest as either two or three. Ask them to identify how many of them there are so that you can make appropriate offerings.

The Marassa may be Fon creator spirits Mawu-Lisa in disguise.

The Marassa are syncretized to Saints Cosmas and Damian.

Three Marassa are often envisioned as female.

They are syncretized to the Charites Three Graces; Saints Faith, Hope and Charity; and Saintes Maries de la Mer.

Also known as:

Mabasa – Marasta

Classification:

Lwa

Feast:

28 December

Favored people:

Children in general, twins and other multiple births as well as the single child born after multiple births regardless of age, parents whose children are dead

Manifestation:

The Marassa may be male, female, or a combination. Ask them to let you know so you can give appropriate gifts. The Marassa often manifest directly to children. The phenomenon known as imaginary friends may actually be visitations from the Marassa.

Iconography:

Images of any of the saints or sacred beings with whom they’re syncretized may be used to represent the Marassa.

Attributes:

Palm branches and leaves

Days:

Monday, Friday

Colors:

Black, white

Time:

The Season of the Twins is the month between 6 December (Feast of Saint Nicholas) and 6 January (The Feast of the Epiphany).

Altar:

Hungry children are cranky and troublesome, so keep full bowls of candy or popcorn on their altar at all times so they can snack when they wish.

Offerings:

The Marassa have the appetites of growing children. Give them treats that make kids happy: candy, cookies, honey, popcorn, toys, and fun, fizzy drinks. Wrap food up in banana leaves. Throw parties for them, inviting other children to come feast with them. Consciously bringing joy to children is in itself an offering to the Marassa.

Do not give the Marassa vegetables or leafy greens. It insults them. On a superficial level, these rambunctious kids don’t want to eat their vegetables, but the deeper subliminal implication is that they require botanicals because you think their own innate miraculous powers of healing are insufficient. If any herbs are needed, they’ll tell you. (The Marassa sometimes specify herbal prescriptions and remedies during ritual possession. They may also do so during dreams.) Regardless of what you feed your own children do not feed the Marassa anything like sugarless, wheat-free cake. They have no allergies. They will never have health problems. Just give them whatever makes a child’s eyes light up with glee.