#and this is why i keep trying to learn new things about other religious practices. i've actually been meaning to look into confessionals

[son-of-avraham]

People often assume that a person is primarily religious because they believe their religion is The Most Correct. However, I am a very strict believer in judaism and I love arguing for other religions.

I just got done outlining how exactly polytheism is advantageous over monotheism and it was incredibly fun. I love people and I love g-d and these two things coexist in perfect harmony

[hailruth]

Do you have any book recommendations for secular Jews? I feel really disconnected from my culture/racial identity/other Jews, but I’m not religious beyond cherishing the practices of our tradition, if that makes sense.

hmm.. i personally think that there can be no difference drawn between the culture, ethnicity, and religion of judaism. so, i don't see how a book about jewish culture could be written without reference to religion. i haven't read or encountered such books. but as a deeply religious person i haven't sought them out, so maybe others who see this can give suggestions. however, i'll try and provide some that might be what you're looking for (also quite a few of these are available on the internet archive)! i will be posting a more extensive reading list later on, so keep an eye out for that if you'd like. books marked with an asterisk are endorsed by the rabbinical council of america.

if you are completely disconnected, i can recommend these introductory books:

TORAH!!! (half-joking)

To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life* by Rabbi Hayim Donin (my top recommendation)

Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (also crazy good)

Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs & Rituals by George Robinson (like 600 pages and textbook-like but this means that there are very thick sections on what could be described as the secular stuff)

Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant ("descriptive rather than prescriptive," quite liberal and a light read)

here's some stuff on specific religious subjects that may help you simply learn, whether or not you engage with the practices:

Waters of Eden: The Mystery of the Mikveh* by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (a mikveh should be built before a synagogue in a community which has neither, so i think jews should learn about them even if they will never use one)

The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning* & The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage* by Rabbi Maurice Lamm

Shabbos: Tasting Eternity* by Rabbi Daniel Travis

i think folklore is super important for more jews to learn about as it often reflects the collective psychology of what we were going through at the time. it's why i think it should be read/understood alongside general jewish history. i'll probably devote a separate post to info on folklore later. food and diaspora all mixed in here too:

People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn

A History of Judaism by Martin Goodman

The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words by Simon Schama

The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York by Claudia Roden

Divination, Magic, and Healing: The Book of Jewish Folklore by Rabbi Ronald Isaacs

Miriam's Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from Around the World by Howard Schwartz

okay, i think i've given a good outline. i mostly read religious-specific books so my strictly historical/food-centered recs are sparse, i apologize. it's also been forever since i've read many of these so they may have issues i don't fully remember. check on the replies/reblogs for any info about that or general corrections. i hope these helped! if i misinterpreted your ask, you can always come back to my inbox.

[azriona]

Friday Five Rec List: Stucky Edition #1

Okay, fine, it's Saturday, be quiet. Rec lists are awesome and I used to do these all the time. I'm organizing these by pairing since that makes the most sense, but as I create more of them, I'll try to keep them linked together. Anyway, Stucky was requested first, so here's five of my favorites. All links lead to AO3.

Want a different pairing? Check out the Friday Five Masterlist!

Ain’t No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) by spitandvinegar

(E, Canon Divergence, Stucky, warnings for drug use, past non-con, and mental illness, aka “The One with the Goddamn Kids”)

Post CAWS, Steve is in New York, trying to find Bucky. Bucky, however, has given up on trying to find himself, and instead has taken on the mantle of “Revelations John,” a religious-inspired vigilante systematically taking down Hydra with extreme prejudice. Oh, and he’s also adopted a couple of Goddamn Kids, as well as a serious heroin addiction. This is about how he found himself again. All of the characters are wonderful in this, and I love how they are so very different from each other but also very recognizable. Steve’s religiousness (he goes to church twice a week), Sam’s practicality, even the Goddamn kids’ brightness and determination. Bucky’s personality shifts are delicately handled, as are his addiction and mental illnesses. Sam’s theory on Steve as a War Refugee is my favorite thing.

❤️

Operation Gros Michel by SquadofCats

(Explicit, Stucky, Canon Divergence after CA:TWS, Steve & Bucky take on Florida, definitely not about bananas)

Steve and Bucky move to Florida, learn to garden, learn to surf, learn how to be again. And then they become renegade activists and only sometimes Avengers. It’s a lengthy exasperated love letter to Florida with some of my favorite original characters, and Steve and Bucky in Speedos live in my head rent-free entirely because of this fic.

❤️

Hot Neighbor and the Sunshine Baby by ZenaidaMacroura

(Mature, Stucky, Trans!Steve, parenting, slow burn, no powers AU)

Steve and Bucky are both single parents to two little girls who are best of friends. Which is why Steve’s simultaneous crush and inability to say two words to Bucky without putting his foot in his ass is a huge problem. Don’t worry, it works out. Eventually. Bucky saying all breathily “Yeah, I can do that” lives in my head rent-free, btw; this fic’s fault.

❤️

The Steve Rogers Problem by relenafanel

(Mature, No Powers AU, Actor!Steve and Fanboy!Bucky, a love letter to fandom and fanfic honestly)

Bucky Barnes writes smutty fanfic about the characters in actor Steve Rogers’ TV show—and then he realizes he and Steve were childhood friends and Steve’s back in town and wants to renew their friendship. Basically, it is every fanfic author’s worst nightmare. (Mine, anyway.) Hijinks ensue. There’s an AU within the series where Bucky isn’t a fanfic author, and it’s equally delightful.

❤️

Strays by snarklyboojum

(Teen, Bucky on the run, not-Alpine, post CA:TWS)

Bucky saves Steve from drowning, follows him to New York, adopts a kitten, breaks into Steve’s apartment multiple times, and somewhere along the line learns to be a human again.

Didn't see your favorite! Send me a rec!

[sasster]

Civil Matters

I guess that’s that then, huh? [doc] —

Very few trolls can attest to having seen The Restorer outside of the grounds that his safe haven of a city occupies in the many hundreds of sweeps since the passing of his predecessor. If asked after it, he might say there is simply no reason to exert any power over the remainder of his region; they have always more or less followed the norms of the area immediate to the church and its surroundings. Even fewer trolls have seen him move with any more passion than his typically relaxed gait, if his very recent worrying after his son went uncounted.

All of this nonsense feels to him as though it somehow started seconds ago and has been going on for many many sweeps at the same time. Whenever it started, he would like to see it end now, a thought that might have lent itself to why he moves with such swiftness behind enemy lines.

When he enters the Church of the Divine Dreamer, the yellow blooded priest falls short mid-sentence. His wings twitch, and Ailzea supposes that he is in search of the right thing to say in the face of their territory’s overseeing purple blood deciding on a surprise visit. Behind the frozen priest, the Goddess he preaches in the name of tilts her head at the sight of the newcomer.

Then she smiles.

The gathered congregants' heads turn to catch sight of the disruption.

“Father Restorer! Will you be joining us for service this evening?” She asks brightly as her brother bristles.

Ailzea nods his head. “Please forgive my tardiness. It is quite a bit out of the way from my own home.” He says and then takes a seat at the back.

Promptly, the attention of the congregation returns to the priest at the pulpit, whose visible eye darts wildly between them and someone unseen at the other end of it.

The godling closes her eyes and settles back in, while her brother clears his throat, taking a moment to recalibrate his thinking and relocate his center. He begins to move again, there is something familiar about the way he carries himself that fills the Restorer’s mind with a weight that he is uncomfortable with carrying.

Cylion suddenly smiles.

“Yes, thank you for joining us, Father Roatus! It is truly an honor to have you.” Clearly not one to let an opportunity slip through his claws, the yellow blood places those same hands down onto the lectern with gusto, and sweeps his gaze over the crowd in a manner that suggests hunger. He practically laps up their attention. “In times of uncertainty, even other religious leaders make the time to visit our Dreamer.” A quiet murmuring starts to spread among the congregation, from what Ailzea listens in on there is a range of reaction in the small gathering that ranges from doubt to astonishment. To him it seems that Cylion really grew into the perfect little priest that Ailzea’s own predecessor looked for within him. At least someone came to learn from the brute. A shame about everyone catching strays as a result of that learning.

“The dream world that you know of is a bridge between the divine and mortal worlds,” he continues, explaining what must be an introduction to the religion for new comers. There is a nervous edge to his movement as he gestures to the furnishings and decorations that resemble or allude to Nymira within the chamber. “And our Dreamer is a gift from the Divine, sent here to show us and teach in its name the ways we can become closer to it…”

Behind him the Goddess sits motionless, save for the swaying of her tail fanned out behind her. What a massive undertaking for such a young troll. The pair of them must be under tremendous stress.  Trollkind was never meant for the burdens of godhood, but damn do they keep trying.

Cylion continues to ramble on in his indoctrination and Ailzea finds himself drawn to the artwork of the young Goddess, allowing the light blues and dreamlike qualities of the pieces pull him away from the sermon. It is a wonder she doesn’t feel completely smothered with all of this attention, that the only pressure she claims to feel presently is the way her brother has started to behave.

He will not get a better understanding of the situation until the three of them sit down for a real conversation. Four if Favion chooses civility. Ailzea is unsure that it’s something he is capable of these days, however. A conversation to have with Weaver when this has all ended.

There is a sudden, almost flighty, tap on his shoulder that serves as a welcome interruption from the thought of his old friend’s descent into madness, and he turns to give his full attention to that disruption. He trades the view of beautiful artwork, depicting scenes of the whimsical and fantastical, for an uneasy looking troll with a bowl cut. Arkiro would find that juxtaposition hilarious.

“Can you come with me?” The disruption mumbles under the priest's lecture, and Ailzea can’t tell if those pupil-less eyes are on him or the speaker at the far front.

He casts a look to the Dreamer before he responds. Nymira gives him an encouraging smile. Somehow, despite the circumstances, she still believes her brothers operate on goodwill. He nods and stands to follow the troll that stands in front of him.

They walk until they reach a part of the compound that seems a bit more residential, their slice of land surely impressive and no doubt a result of Favion’s masterful use of manipulation tactics when he’s in his best mind. 

“Cylion will speak to you in here,” the troll with the bowl cut says as he leads him into a dining area flanked by two closed bedroom doors. It is all he’s said the entire trip. “In the name of privacy.” He explains.

“I understand. Thank you.”

Then his escort moves to exit the way they entered, but Ailzea speaks again before he can get very far. “Will the elder Lefera be joining us as well? 

He freezes in the doorway and seems to wince or shudder at the thought.

“Yeah, I’ll,” a pause. “I’ll check on that for you.”

A curious response, but not one the Restorer can fault him for.

Favion is not a troll to be invoked lightly.

Some time passes before the young priest finds his way to the room that Ailzea waits for him in. In that time, Ailzea has found himself regretting not bringing something with which to keep his hands and mind busy. Though he dares not craft under that savage of a man’s roof. The ghost of a horrible memory looms somewhere in the back of his mind. He sighs it away.

Cylion enters the room briskly, already having tugged the collar out from his shirt, the sunflower from his eye, holding each in his hand as he pulls the rest of his ceremonial garb up over his head to reveal a tanktop underneath. The ceremonial clothes seems to Ailzea to hide much of the bulk of the yellow blood’s wings, but his under shirt allows him the freedom to stretch them out. Which he does.

He discards his accessories on a counter on his way to where the Restorer sits. Finally, he gives him his full attention.

The eye contact fills Ailzea’s head with an uncomfortably pregnant fog.

“Father will not be joining us.” He asserts.

It must be that he is over the original shock of the Restorer’s presence enough for the coolness of his facade to have taken root again. Something tells him that it was in the name of that facade that he was sent away in the middle of the sermon.

“I am afraid my visit largely concerns your father and his recent behavior, regarding my children and otherwise. I would like him to be in attendance.”

Cylion’s nose nearly scrunches, almost twisting his face up at the mention of children, but he stops himself partway through. Ailzea imagines the protest of Marrie as a child dying on the tongue he sucks against his teeth.

Cool neutrality returns to his face. “We are deeply sorry for that–”

“Favion will join us. Nymira as well.” There is a level of force alien to even Ailzea that the words leave his mouth with. “Please.” He amends.

The younger priest’s mouth clamps shut with an audible clacking of his teeth, clearly unused to his authority being challenged. “Father is unwell. And Nymira must rest.”

“Cylion. I am no longer asking.”

Something familiar that isn’t forcibly repressed in the Restorer’s mind bubbles behind Cylion’s eye and just below the surface of his features. Ailzea��d seen that look long ago, hundreds of times, just before Favion would do something reprehensible.  The expression passes over the younger Lefera like a ghost.

At least he has some level of self control.

“Of course.” He grits, takes a moment to step away to give the instruction to Bowl Cut at the door, and returns to sit near the Grand High Blood finally tossing his weight around. “It would be easier with me.”

“I am not looking for easy. I am looking for finished.”

Cylion shakes his head and averts his gaze to his own perfectly manicured nails, tongue sucking against his teeth again. “You’re as stubborn as Archie.”

–

Nymira arrives first, also changed into clothing designed more in the name of comfort than presentation. She practically floats ahead of Bowl Cut as they enter.

The two yellow bloods exchange an indecipherable look as the godling crosses all the way to the side of the table the Restorer sits at.

“I’m so happy you made it, Father Restorer!” Her enthusiasm as palpable as one brother's dread and the other’s anger. “Did you enjoy the service?”

“I did, thank you for having me.” He looks at the brothers for a brief moment and then returns his attention to her. “I have been thinking about our conversation, my child. How does some time away from home sound to you?”

The silence that wraps itself around the room as the question leaves his mouth is as thick and impenetrable as the block that prevents Ailzea from properly focusing on the winged yellow blood.

“She can’t just–”

“I will not force you,” Ailzea continues once Cylion’s bewildered, close to the tipping point, voice pierces through the blanket of silence. “However, there is a space for you within my walls should you choose to take me up on that offer.”

Nymira stares back at him with eyes wide and shaking, bright shimmering pools of black that could suck him in with her desire if he wasn’t careful. She chews on the idea, her gaze shifting from the elder priest to the younger, then back again.

“Nymira-” Cylion’s protest is quelled as quickly as it starts by a wave of Ailzea’s hand.

The Goddess fidgets.

“Father Restorer,” her voice catches and he waits for her to find her balance. She chances a glance at her brother, he stares back as though he means to bend her to his will with his mind. She shrinks. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I trust that your brothers will handle business while you are away.”

Now it is Ailzea’s turn to put the full brunt of his attention on Cylion, the younger priest does not flinch in the face of it, a stormy look taking hold of his own features. Both sets of wings flare and fold in on themselves in time with the breathing he fights hard to regulate.

Cylion exhales hard through his nose.

“Father Roatus,” he begins, silver tongue searching for a line to pull. “There are people here that rely on her here. She can’t be taken from her people.”

“That is a decision she will make when she has had her rest, should she choose to take my offer.”

Cylion opens his mouth to respond, but he pauses. His attention is somewhere else, brought toward the entrance to the room, by the sound of a low thud that spills into it. All eyes fall on Favion as he crouches into the doorway.

Immediately the elder Lefera’s attention is grabbed by the sight of Ailzea.

He breaks into an uneven grin.

“Favion,” Ailzea acknowledges him with a nod. “We were just discussing Nymira’s break from her duties.”

The hulk of a yellow blood stops just beyond the threshold and grips the doorframe, he works his jaw for a moment. Then he speaks.

“Interesting proposal,” he gravels, the words struggling through a rock tumbler before falling out of his mouth. “My sprout stays here.”

“It is not a request.” Ailzea asserts as he stands up.

A rattle of a growl shakes loose in the beast's chest, Cylion and his brother look between each other, Nymira takes a step behind the Restorer.

“Favion, I only asked you here so that your children are not made to explain to you what has occurred.” The Restorer turns his attention to the godling and nods again in her direction. “The decision is hers.”

There is a sharp snap, and a crack begins to form along the door frame from beneath Favion’s massive claw, then another silence descends on the group. The silence vies for dominance over the new wave of tense atmosphere that smothers them. Nymira says nothing, shrinking from her father and closer to the purple priest when he lets loose another growl and steps further into the room. This time the growl is punctuated by the sound of his teeth grinding together.

Cylion’s anger looks right at home on his father’s face.

Beyond the ferocity, Ailzea finds something else mixed into it. Something that he cannot place.

Not on Favion’s face, anyway, the way his lips always twisted into a fierce snarl ready to rip someone apart. Beyond that, there was something soft. A tenderness.

Love. He thinks. For his daughter.

And here she was hiding away from him.

“Nymira?” Ailzea asks softly, tearing his attention away from the hulk. “What do you say?”

“I would like to go with you.” She responds in a voice meant for a mouse, unable to rip her own eyes off of her father’s threat display. “Just… For a little while.”

“Sprout,” Favion advances, enough that Ailzea can make out the age which aids the deterioration that mars the yellow giant’s face. The ghost of a fearsome sneer finds itself locked behind the gentle expression he wears like a mask to look at his daughter with. “Why?”

There is a lull, the Restorer looks from Favion to his descendant behind him. The winged troll looks furious, staring coldly at his sister, once against doing his best to control her with that steely gaze.

Ailzea turns slightly to obscure her from his view.

Nymira breathes, he feels her grab hold of his robes from behind.

“Father,” her voice wavers. “You hurt my friends and everyone was ready to lie to me about it! Cylion has been cruel and he…” She hesitates, Ailzea imagines that she might’ve brought up Little Friend but thought better of it in present company. He is grateful for this. “He let a bad man take me away! To teach me some sort of lesson. He made sure I would forget things… That his words meant more to me than my own thoughts. That’s no way to treat someone you care about!” The words rush out of her quickly, a poorly made dam coming down in the face of her flood of emotion.

Favion stands statue still, teeth grinding all the while he processes the information. It would take a moment for him to catch it all even on his best day. Behind him, Cylion cannot help the growl that thunders from his chest. Bowl Cut fidgets with the edges of his shirt.

“I just need somewhere to breathe. Please, Father.”

Ailzea speaks before the broken yellow blood finds use of his mouth again. “Go, Nymira. Gather your things.”

“Okay. Thank you Father. Thank you, too, Father Restorer.” She says breathlessly and takes the long way around to the room’s exit so she does not risk crossing the path of her explosive brother and frozen father.  Her failed prophets.

When she is safely out of the room, all compassion leaves Favion’s face. His expression twists into one of pure animosity, then his lips part into a snarl that brings Ailzea back to all of those daymares where his children are mutilated right before his eyes.

One of the brothers makes an involuntary sound.

The yellow blood advances on him, claw angled to grab him up by the horn.

Ailzea sighs.

“Favion. I have had enough of this!” Once again, the force that Ailzea manages is alien even to himself. “If you cannot behave civilly, return to your chambers!” This time his own voice rings loud in his ears, leaving behind the echoes of all the times in his youth that he’d been on the receiving end of one of his predecessor's tyrades.

He sounds just like Matere Roatus. That man’s voice on Ailzea’s tongue leaves a metallic taste behind. How many times was that line used on him, followed by the destruction of something dear to his heart?

Ailzea would never stoop so low.

When he refocuses on the scene in front of him, the beast of a troll has already fallen still. He stands in a neutral position, perhaps awaiting an order. At the same time, the pair of brothers have found themselves on the other side of the kitchen, not keen on a bath of blood if it came down to it.

“Favion, you will let her do as she wishes.”

Favion grunts, and though he appears to comply, contempt poisons his features and taints the air between them.

Cylion opens his mouth to protest, anger paints him in a grim light, but Ailzea shoots it down with a glower of his own.

“The game is done. Nymira has made her decision.”

[edensvessel]

hi! this is kinda long… I’m so sorry.

so I’ve never “worked” with infernals but I keep drawing a lot of tarot cards that seem to relate to specific ones. I’ve been doing pretty much all forms of divination for about 8 years. I’ve retired most of my works, however, I just lost the love of my life in a very traumatic way (sorry for trauma dumping 😔) - but I feel like it has opened me up to something else. I’m just seeking clarity and help from others who have more experience in this area. I also had a very intense experience just last night as well. long story short, I laid down after my friend and I did a reading earlier and all of a sudden, my neck and thighs start to feel like they have a sunburn on them. my hips start to ache. I felt pressure in my upper abdomen. then, my head started to hurt. It got so hot that I had to stand in front of a fan. I don’t know if it’s my anxiety/ptsd or what. I’ve been trying to seek out other sources to help me determine everything considering I’m now severely mentally ill. I came very intrigued with archangels as well out of nowhere about a month ago. I even found a penny - perfectly placed in the center of my front door frame with a shield on it (facing up).

I came across your page and thought I’d ask. I’m not scared or anything. Just trying to figure some things out. you don’t have to answer, i would greatly appreciate anything though!

hope all is well! 🖤 & I hope I’m not bothering you.

Heya anon!

Firstly, don't worry at all about longer asks, I thoroughly prefer detailed questions since I tend to overthink answers if the question is really general. Sometimes context can make a world of a difference.

Secondly, I hope you're doing okay! Mental illness and recent trauma can be the worst to try and get through, and I'm very proud of you for coming this far :)

Now, to get into the question; honestly, my biggest tip would be to take things at your pace. Different practitioners will give you different advice, whether it be to take things slow or dive headfirst into things - I think you should take things at your pace.

Which archangels or infernals (or any other beings) intrigue you? Which ones do you think have been reaching out (if any, it's not necessary for one to reach out to you)? Do your research on them! Google Scholar is a wonderful place to look for information, archive.org is great to find any books or resources for free, and YouTube has just about all the information you need.

In relation to the experience you had, I cannot say whether it was someone reaching out or something of that sort - it could be that, it could also not be that. Point is, you don't have to figure that out instantly. If, to you, it feels like a beckoning to something else, then I think it's worth exploring regardless of whether or not it actually is a beckoning.

Of course, this goes without saying, but please please please take care of yourself! Mental illness can absolutely kick your ass a lot of the time, and in some cases it can affect practice. I know it sure does for me, which is why I tend to avoid anything relating to my practice if I'm not doing so mentally well (kind of an issue considering I need to learn to lean on my patron a lot more but the reason I do it is a solid one.) However, I also think leaning on any religious figures during times of struggle is good when it's in healthy doses. What I'm trying to say is, you don't need to figure out your experiences immediately, and whenever you do try to figure them out, take everything into account. Find a balance, and try to keep it.

Sometimes, traumatic situations can open up new doors. I know they for sure did when it came to my experiences with King Asmodeus. I think both infernals and archangels are worth a shot if you feel drawn. And if it's not your cup of tea, you can stop at any time (with proper communication to all parties involved of course.)

Also, side tangent regarding the tarot cards: a lot of infernals are indeed associated with several different tarot cards, and the specific ones that keep drawing themselves to you CAN (not always, but possible) indicate something about why that infernal wants to help you or reach out. When King Asmodeus and I were first starting out, He always showed up as The Emperor to indicate His patronage. Nowadays, it's usually the King of Cups because of this specific phase in my life where He's teaching me how to control and channel things properly, whether that be emotion or otherwise; as well as to indicate how our bond has grown a lot more strong and personal. Pay attention to those specific cards!!

I hope this helps! Feel free to send in any more questions :) I wish you luck ^_^

[nightcolorz]

Another Armandtism q: how do you think he would relate to the modern conceptualization of his neurodivergence? Would he see himself in the concept of autism and find some measure of comfort in it, or reject it out of hand as something that doesn’t apply to him? How would someone who was born before the field of psychiatry react to being told that part of who they are is considered reflective of a “condition” or a “disorder”?

ahhhh omggg I love this question!!! ❤️❤️ I think Armand would have trouble applying it to himself partly bcus he is much more spiritually +philosophy minded then conscious of like modern medicine and science. So I think it would be easier for him to understand his autism as a hypothetical characteristic then a diagnosis, bcus that’s what he’s used to. I doubt this dude has ever even been to a doctor so I imagine trying to understand himself through that modern perspective would be uncomfortable and feel foreign for him.

But! Armand is a fast and eager learner, while characters like lestat and Louis have that old person bitterness that keeps them from wanting to understand the modern perspective (bcus of pride that tells them that what they’re used to is better) Armand rlly wants to evolve with the times and to understand all the new technology and scientific advancements that come with it. So I don’t think he’d be so hesitant to explore the world of modern psychiatry. I think his natural curiosity and desire to understand things outside of his comprehension would overpower his fear of vulnerability + fear of exploring his own mind + lack of natural understanding of what he’s being exposed to. I don’t think it would be out of character for Armand to seek out an autism diagnosis just out of interest in learning about modern day phycology and neurology practices 😭.

Also, on my earlier note about how understanding these things from a modern perspective would be hard for Armand bcus of how spiritual he is, Armand has already tried adopting the spiritual explanation for his autism into his self perception (the whole “not made by human hands”, u r in some way other and inhuman bcus of ur connections to god, thing of his childhood), and that mindset has caused him nothing but pain and confusion. I can say from experience that being unaware of and undiagnosed autistic, for me and for someone as overthinking as Armand, feels often like always looking for an ambiguous answer that u can not even identify u r looking for. And I see that in Armand, I feel like for a lot of his existence he has been searching for an explanation for “why he is the way that he is” and the older he gets the more distressing and hopeless this search feels, bcus it seems that there is no answer, and he is just weird and unknowable and forever isolated for reasons he can not understand. So!! I think if he was able to get past his barriers, like his fear and difficulty when it comes to talking about himself, and the vulnerability it would take to open himself up to that, Armand would find the explanation that he is autistic rlly comforting + validating! Despite his spirituality, Armand finds science more comforting them God, bcus of all that religious trauma he considers modern secularism and technology almost soothing and reassuring (which is probably part of his fixation on it). So I think being given a diagnosis, a reassurance that this ambiguous wrongness about him is in fact a scientific, concrete neurological disorder that isn’t indicative of some spiritual destiny or devil influence or whatever, would rlly be pretty comforting for Armand to hear. “You have a fairly common disorder” I feel like is less scary and difficult to cope with then “you have an ambiguous, inherent wrongness that separates u from other ppl and is probably connected to ur divine fate” (which is what Armand has been internalizing for his entire life 😭)

thank u sm for the ask AHHH!!! I love Armand autism asks SM!!

[succulentsiren]

Hi Siren, I wanna know what do I do when the people around me are religious and overly critical of other spiritual practices? Thank yu

Hi, I can relate to your situation, since most of my family members are easily spooked and critical of different spiritual practices as well.

When i'm around my religious family members or people, which isn't for a long time since they can seriously drain your energy, I usually just listen to them, let them do most of the talking and observe what they’re saying. I've learned to detach myself emotionally from their judgements. I rarely share my own personal beliefs, as I prefer them to be kept private but also, because people who are close minded won't be open to new information anyways.

You just have to detach your emotions and not allow their negativity to get to you. Most of the stuff they say is out of fear and ignorance anyways, so i've learned to dismiss them or laugh at some of the things they say.

The importance of keeping your spirituality private.

If you have people around you pressing you, by all means assert yourself by saying things like *You have your personal beliefs and I have mine.* *I prefer to keep my spiritual practices to myself.* *My relationship with God is between me and God.*

But if they don't ask, don't tell. There's a difference between cheap information and true wisdom.

There is a reason why secret societies maintain their secrets. Secret societies aren't blabbering to everyone about their beliefs because they understand the high value of their knowledge. It's always the religious doctrines, that teach people to be loud, mean and fight with each other but remember, just because they're loud doesn't mean they're right or wise. If anything it's the opposite.

Here's more tips for dealing with spooky and critical people.

• Don't try to find validation, prove your point or argue with critical or religious people. All arguing does, is run up your stress levels, drain your energy and make you look insecure. Just chuckle and change the subject.

• Keep your details private. Have you ever heard the saying, 'Keep your plans private to keep them safe?’ The same applies here, Keep your spiritual practices private to keep them safe.

• Find people who are accepting of who you are & spend more time around them instead of the critical people trying to control your life and personal beliefs.

• Lastly, you MUST develop tough skin and learn not allow anyone's judgements to taint your own. Stay solid and firm about who you are regardless of other peoples' opinions.

Hope this helps🍒 SS

[laugtherhyena]

Continuing the relationship chart grind, look at how many goddamn arrows and multiple colors this bitch has. I wouldn't expect anything less form Mrs.Weird woman here.

Much like last time, check this post first if you're new here so you know who is who in this mess.

As an evil spiteful nurse most of Catherine's chart is composed of varying levels of dislike. While John is the only one with the hatred color all through the only reason she hates him that much is because he tries to kill her on day 1 morning, if it wasn't for that she really wouldn't have much opinion in the guy. Amos is actually the person she hates the most out of the whole cast, pretty much by default, since he is a priest and Catherine despises anything and everything related to religion or cultists or magic. Partially because the family that abused her for a good part of her life was heavily religious so she associates the practices and devotion with them, but also because she prides herself in her work a lot and feels as if using magic for things, especially healing, is incredibly lazy and requires no real skill or ability. Seeing people be able to grow entire limbs back in some rituals while the best she can do is stitch them back up makes her feel worthless and she hates that more than anything, it's a blow to the ego, what more can i say.

That's literally the whole reason she has such a bone to pick with Amos because if she stopped being an asshole for one and learned how he was forced to become a dark priest and actually dislikes that heavily I'm sure she wouldn't dislike him that much. But she'll never take time off her day to be around him unless absolutely necessary, so that's not happening.

She dislikes Kit for basically the same reason as Amos, tho his less bad because his main god isn't All-mer (the one her family devoted themslves to the most, which is also the church kind Amos was a part of) + seeing him be an absolute outcast and lacking even a basic knowledge of how it is to be normal and a part of society due to the cult he grew up in validates her beliefs that cultists are just deranged people who will ruin their own lives in favor of devoting themselves to a god that doesn't care for them. She pities him, but that pity isn't enough to make her feel genuinely bad for the guy, she will just be a dick that glares at him from the sidelines and find some form of twisted enjoyment from seeing him suffer because of his ties to the wolfmasks.

On a similar note of dislike mixed with weird feelings we have Lola, who is an odd one out in her humongous hate list because Catherine tens to have a soft spot for women who had harsh upbringing and/or grew up in poverty because she also went through hell while growing up, while Lola did have a pretty harsh life that is ironically a factor in why Cathetine dislikes her so much.

She sees herself in her, as they were both essentially forced to become houseworkers from a young age for one reason or another. But since Lola never tried to change that status or pursue genuine passions she had in life, bending to other's wills and becoming incredibly submissive as an adult because of that, Catherine absolutely loathes her because in her eyes she's looking at the kind of person she could very well have become if she didn't take certain paths in life and she hates that so so much, tho the "I relate to you heavily" keeps her from despising this girl in the same way she does with John and Amos. And hey, i do think that in certain situations she may be kind with her for once, there's just a heap of weird feelings and (self) hate involved.

Continuing on the dislike section we have Claire and really the main reason she dislikes her is because at the start of termina Claire follows her around trying to see if she can overhear any news about Kaiser's supposed plan of invading Prehevil, Catherine is from his army after all and if she's there Claire believes she can maybe check if those rumors hold true. Naturally, Cathy dislikes being stalked, which is made worse by the fact that Claire takes pictures of her around town (Catherine hates her appearance) which in turn leads to Cathy destroying her camera in a bit of a squabble during day 1 morning.

The thing is that this dislike can turn into gratitude and slight respect if Claire is the one to find and listen to her in the bop's hideout during day 1 night (which is Cathy's recruiting event), so much so that she is the only one of the playable characters of who Catherine will tell that she was indeed sent to Prehevil to scout the place and report when would be the best time for the army to invade it + how now she plans on calling them to come anyway so that they can be killed by the moonscorches as a revenge of sorts since by this point she believes Kaiser send her there to die (essentially saying she is disposable and you bet she hated that idea a lot).

Lastly we have Addison and Matyas who are in the dislike/intrigue mixture for basically the same reason of Catherine finds them incredibly annoying and can't stand being around them, Addison because of how paranoid and scaredy he becomes when termina starts and Matyas for his delusional ramblings and scaredy cat-ness as well.

Onto the neturals we have Hilda and Anatol who she really doesn't hold much of an opinion on. Hilda doesn't talk to her and she won't bother going after her either but she does find Anatol tolerable, mainly because he is Ebba's boyfriend and she likes both Ebba and Mary for the previously mentioned soft spot she has for girls who grew up in terrible environments. Tho i would say she likes Mary a bit more than she likes Ebba because she finds her ability to keep on living/fighting despite being incredibly injured impressive from a medical standpoint + Ebba taking advantage of Mary upsets her a little.

Lastly we got the Vinson brothers which are a source of intrigue to her because Cathy never had a good or even normal relationship with her sister so she likes observing the two out if wondering if that's how siblings are actually meant to be, she can tell that despite arguing and butting heads quite often both Damian and Leslie care a lot for one another which is something she finds both sweet and saddening because Madeline has never had this form of genuine care for her even after she started being nice to her.

While she is somewhat similar to Damian due to both of them being very no-nonsense sort of people who focus on their goals above most other things, they don't actually get along that well? They will work fine if they're sticking together for survival but if left on their own devices they will probably just never talk because Damian finds her sketchy/suspicious/potentially dangerous and since Cathy can tell he looks at her weirdly she will act accordingly.

Leslie on the hand is the person she likes the most out of the entire cast, surprisingly because I feel at first glance she didn't think much of him and only really started interacting with him out of being curious about the brothers. A handful of the things he'd say to her confused her immensely because she could not tell he was trying to show interest in her out of never having had anyone come towards her with that sort of intention, when he did make that clear with some kind of straightforward compliment it also confused her a lot but more as a form of denial of sorts.

Catherine is really funny too because she will be a spiteful power hungry asshole that is some level of rude to basically everyone she knows on a daily basis but she will crumble into an emotional mess the second someone displays the slightest form of affection to her or tells her that she's not an eyesore. Physical appearance is Catherine's deepest insecurity both due to the scars on her face and her body shape in general, so the idea that another person can like it let alone find her attractive is absolutely mind boggling to her. Knowing Leslie likes her that much makes her incredibly flustered but also drawn to him more and more through the festival since she longs to be loved even if Cathy herself would never admit it. (This isn't to say he only likes her for the looks tho, what made him set his eyes on her was Catherine being creepy and weird)

[hindisoup]

Hiii, I've been following your blog since some time. And I've been very fascinated and impressed by your journey. I'm sure at this point you know hindi better than me (I'm not proud of this, I'll focus better on Hindi from now). And I've always had this question, I'm not sure if I asked you or if you have already answered it or not. But how did you start learning Hindi? Are you Indian or indian origin? And how has your journey been? Did you find difficulties? What was easy for you and what did you like/dislike about the culture as you continued learning the language? I'm very curious.

Hi and thank you so much for such a nice ask!

Here's my previous answer to how I got into Hindi in the first place.

In short, I am just a Finnish linguaphile with no connection to India or South Asia whatsoever. I have loved learning about different languages since childhood but Hindi (and Urdu on the side) has been my passion for the past six to seven years now.

I got into the language very typically through Hindi cinema but more than just the aesthetics I'm fascinated by the history, art, socio-political fabric, nature and just all of it. I love learning new things in general and there's always something new about Indian people or culture that draws my interest. Looking at things - whether political, religious or whatever - from a distance, I try to observe and form an understanding more than form opinions - it's not my place and all I have is endless respect for Indian people. I've never been to India but believe me I have long to-do and to-see lists when I eventually one day get to go there.

My language journey has been very enjoyable. I've done some online courses, had iTalki tutors, done some videos to practice pronunciation, made a huge Anki deck and done lots of reading, podcast listening and film watching. I was making great progress but my learning has been on somewhat hiatus since last autumn when I got a new job that took all my energy. Since January I've been writing a PhD thesis proposal that has taken all my spare time and my Hindi learning has diminished to scrolling Tumblr poems and listening to film songs while commuting. The passion is still there and I intend to return to my routines as soon as possible.

What I love most about Hindi as a language is the logic of it. It's - for me at least - very easy to 'get' Hindi, as in understanding the grammar rules - why things are the way they are. Hindi is a very learner-friendly language that way. A bigger issue is the immense vocabulary and understanding of the historical and cultural roots around borrowing sounds and words from Sanskrit, Persian and other languages - how they play together and how they do not etc. When learning Hindi you are never just learning Hindi!

I had some trouble learning Devanagari at first and learning to differentiate all the sounds (and produce them from my mouth). It took time, but one day they clicked. I'm not perfect and there's a lot of room for improvement but seeing the progress I've made is very encouraging and helps me keep on learning. Learning Nastaliq and Naskh is another story - and another journey altogether!

[skaldish]

Thank you for answering my question about periods. I’m wondering then if this whole concept of impurity in heathenry is also untrue or not?

A number of people were saying that all human fluids were impure. No praying if you had an open wound or anything. No sneezing during a ritual. But like...by their logic, you would be considered unable to worship if you wore a colostomy bag, because feces are impure. Which seems bad to me?

I’m sorry for being ignorant, by the way. I didn’t mean to anger or upset anyone. I’m new to this all, and I’m trying to learn.

You're welcome. The concept of "impurity" doesn't exist in Heathenry.

There's a few reasons why you might be seeing people claim such a thing though.

1. People want structure.

First of all, Heathenry lacks anything in the way of scriptures and doctrines. However, a lot of Heathens (specifically American ones) coming from a doctrine-based religious background, view this is a flaw rather than a feature. If anything, the lack of doctrines means they don't know what to DO to be Heathen, which can be anxiety-inducing for people who have never experienced any other paradigm.

Paradigm shifts take a while, so the way most people facilitate this is by creating their own practice observances. This provides them with a framework for being Heathen, but it's also something they understand as being for them, and is not something everyone needs to observe.

But some people try to force their ideas on others by selling it to them as "the way you do things." I can only guess why. Maybe it's because they don't feel like their own practice is valid unless other people agree with it. Maybe they came from a high-control religious environment and "converting others" is how they understand "doing religion." Or maybe they heard it from someone else, and because they're new at this and insecure they're going to repeat what they heard in order to feel like they're doing things "right." The reasons are endless, and people's minds are enigmas even to themselves.

The point is, if ANYONE's trying to tell you that there's things you HAVE to observe in Norse Heathenry, they're either lying, grossly misinformed, or simply ignorant of alternatives. Whatever the reason, it's still false.

2. The vikings were very clean compared to the rest of Europe, and many Heathens emulate this.

For lack of any scripture or doctrines, many Heathens develop personal orthopraxy by looking at what the pre-Christian Norse people (with the assumption Norse Heathenry died out with the introduction of Christianity, which we're only now figuring out isn't true. But I digress.)

One of the things people commonly incorporate into their praxis, is personal cleanliness. The pre-Christian Norse people supposedly had remarkable personal hygiene compared to members of other European societies, so it's pretty common for contemporary Heathens to adopt personal cleanliness into their practice in some way.

"Staying clean of bodily fluids for ritual" is something I've only seen practiced by folks running The Longship, and they presented it as an option because it's something they made up for themselves that made sense to them. To keep their ritual spaces remain clean of bodily fluids is something they chose to adopt after establishing a working understanding of Heathenry in their minds.

It's my understanding that was supposed to be an example of praxis, but unfortunately the nature of what it pertains to lends itself to skeevy interpretations.

(This is one of those circumstances where experienced practitioners mistake "having experience" with "knowing how to teach it." Many folks don't realize that pedagogy is its own unique skill. As a rule-of-thumb, you don't teach people exceptions to the norm until they are proficient with the norm, otherwise it creates this exact problem.

But in the Longship's defense, it was one of the first non-Folkish public-facing Heathen education websites to exist, so this is very much a situation where something was needed and they had the means to do it.)

Anyways, this misunderstanding could be a reason why you're seeing people claim this is something you HAVE to do.

(I also know the Longship also runs r/Heathenry, so take that as you will.)

3. Heathenry has a white nationalist problem

If something looks suspicious, treat it as such, because Heathenry has a white nationalist problem. Heathen white nationalists refer to themselves as "Folkish" which is a reference to the Volkisch movement of Germany, which was the social precursor to what eventually became the Nazi Party. Today's iteration is referred to as the neo-Volkisch movement, and its ideologies overlap with a number of alt-right and Hate Groups, including TERFs/RadFems for pastoral tradwife reasons.

Some of the talking points these bad actors like using involve encouraging people towards ideas or behavior that already exist in the world, but just so happens to benefit the spread of their ideologies.

For example, if people already observe "maintaining good hygiene" as part of Heathen practice, they might try to push that idea hard, so that people will see hygiene as so valuable that they would be more likely to apply it to things like "genetic hygiene" later (read: "Racial purity").

This doesn't make it unsafe or bad to be heathen. It just means you need to keep a discerning eye out, and to keep your distance from people spreading information in ways that seem very uncompromising, authoritative, and polarizing.

Remember: Heathenry is beholden to people. People are not beholden to it.

I honestly couldn't say for sure if what you experienced was cryptofascist in nature, nor do I recommend trying to verify. But having information about what that can look like can help you discern going forward.

[thatawkwardwitch]

My First Encounter With the Virgin Mary

I was in my junior year of high school and I had just finished working with Aphrodite. I was still very new to my practice and I had no idea what to do next. The first deity I worked with had just left, I didn't even know that was a thing that would happen. I, in all my baby witch ignorance, was so certain that she was my patroness. I was manic, though I didn't know it at the time, and was starting to come down into a depressive episode. I was scrambling to fill the space left by Aphrodite, researching gods and goddesses, doing guided meditation to connect with guides and deities, trying desperately to find something that resonated. Eventually, I felt a pull toward Freyja and I reached out to her, asking if she would work with me. I asked for a sign from her and I received two. But I hesitated. A part of me still felt loyal to Christianity despite not having gone to church regularly for years. I had gone to mass a few times with my dad since I had moved in with him and I had been gifted a rosary, brown scapular (which I'm not sure what happened to now oops), and a miraculous medal. I had been keeping the rosary under my pillow, praying it occasionally due to a certain incident that is too long to describe in this post and not wholly relevant. During one of these guided meditations I connected to both Freyja and the Virgin Mary which is odd if you think about the historical context between Norse paganism and Christianity but it also makes sense for me looking back at it. I saw before me two paths drenched in light, The Virgin Mary on one side, and Freyja on the other. I was essentially told that I would have to choose, that I couldn't have both (which is something I was told again rather recently). Freyja once again confirmed that she was willing to work with me, and the Virgin Mary told me that there was no wrong answer right then, both paths would be beneficial to me, but she said that no matter which path I chose now, she would always be there for me, waiting. I didn't know what she meant, since she had just told me that I had to choose. Why would she bother waiting if I was going to work with a pagan goddess? It was warm, but confusing. Because I had (and still have) a bunch of religious trauma, I chose Freyja. Because that felt the safetest and it was the closest to what I had just lost with Aphrodite leaving. I didn't have any other contact with the Virgin Mary after that, not until recently. And she stayed true to her word. Looking back, I think I was always meant to follow Mary, but I needed to learn a few things first. There were other trauma's that I had to face, lessons I had to learn, before I was ready to work with her. Despite how hard this past week has been, I've never felt more sure of my path

[rollercoasterwords]

on the topic of girl/boy scouts and gendered education - in my country scouts is not split into "boy scouts" and "girl scouts", everyone goes together. however! for decades the groups for the younger kids were split into girls and boys - they did the same activities but it was still stereotypical (more play and physical work for boys, more creating and discussions for girls). a few years ago there was this initiative to mix the groups of the younger kids bc this was the only instance where the girls and boys were separate and it caused very wide discussions in my circle of a. would the kids be bothered by it (we were scared we would get only boys from some schools and only girls from others; that the kids would segregate themselves), b. would it damage the kids' safe space (we're talking ten to twelve year olds, right at the age when they're not yet teenagers but not toddlers by any means), and c. (and most importantly in my opinion) what is our role as their guides and educators? because at the end of the day we strive to not just create a fun environment to play but also discuss serious topics, from climate change to politics to civil rights and even broad subjects of history, and learn practical stuff, from anything camping and building to first aid and the different ways one can volunteer. and at the end of the day, there isn't any need for girls and boys to be taught these things separately. they ended up mixing the groups and remarkably it not just worked out but actively benefitted the kids; there were so many we didn't think would come and now did because their friend group from school was of both boys and girls, because their closest friends/cousins/twins even could be in the same group with them and provide them with the safe space they needed. all that to say, if this person insists on discussing girl/boy scouts, it's worth mentioning that the way the movement functions in different parts of the world varies widely - and even more than that, education is not static. the right adjustments should and can be made for certain kids (should the broader system "allow" it, which is exactly why we need it to be flexible and considerate and anything but static), but the way you educate - the system in which you provide others with knowledge and lead discussions - is the basis of it all. i could go on because i feel like people like to misinterpret girl/boy scouts because those are very old and very successful movements, but even the stuck-up sexist movement created by a perhaps-pedophile in an attempt to show british boys how to Be Prepared for a war after wwi can change and shift, because that's what education is all about. to try and define a "correct" way of teaching, of schooling, of either formal or informal forms of education is not just simply futile but legitimate dangerous to the basis of the field itself; it's ever-changing, ever-growing, and trying to deny it inherently means keeping others (mostly children) in the dark. the thing is, lots of people who advocate only for one type of static education (be it segregated, modern, conservative or new and innovative) know it doesn't include everyone (it's easy to look at conservative forms of education, but at the same time not separating girls and boys tends to prevent religious communities from attending, for example) and they still continue to advocate for it because it's a lot easier to just take one thing and stick to it. this ask is getting long lol just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject! from my (pretty wide) experience with various forms of education (formal, informal, conservative, modern, etc) i can say that the best educators i've seen have been the ones that learned to be flexible and make education about the children (even students) rather than the textbook academic definition of their approach. education, when done right, is slow, and we don't get to see the results for very long years; which is exactly why it should not be set in stone.

don't have time to write a long response atm but i appreciate ur perspective!! really interesting to hear an anecdote from someone who's witnessed an instance where boys + girls were separated vs mixed together in the same program

[ear-worthy]

"Kelly Corrigan Wonders" Podcast: Listen To Her Rupture & Repair Mini-Series

Life is easy when we all agree. And consciously or not, we tend to surround ourselves with people who have a similar worldview. The exception is family, so when Mom and Dad become 24/7 Fox News watchers, we try to get along for the sake of family cohesion, despite the crazy shit they now say.

For a lot of us, we adopt a "let's keep silent" approach to meeting others, in which there is agreement not to bring up any topics that can cause conflict.

The problem with that strategy is you often don't know the triggers of others. For example, I ordered a Bud Light one evening because it was on tap and had two people in our party threaten to leave. The other day, I mentioned Taylor Swift's historic win at the Grammys and was informed that the singer and the NFL conspired to fix the Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs. 

That's why I think author / host /podcaster Kelly Corrigan ofKelly Corrigan Wonders has a much better idea.

 How can we discuss–productively–the most contentious issues between us? That’s the question beneath Kelly Corrigan WondersRupture and Repair series, five conversations about navigating dicey topics. The series is a deep dive into the hardest conversations between people, partners, families and groups.  

“Through five unforgettable success stories, it gives our country the informed hope it’s hungry for and a set of principles and practices to follow,” Corrigan says. Avoiding topics where opposite perspectives are held might seem easier, but Kelly aims to educate and inspire us to engage in meaningful and necessary exchanges to better understand each other. The series looks at rupture and repair from several angles: marriage and family, political and personal, religious and secular. Each episode features Kelly in conversation with a guest who has seen the rupture between people and discovered ways to repair. Guests include Monica Guzman, Manu Meel, Julie Schwartz Gottman and John Gottman, Simon Greer, and April Lawson. By the end, Kelly Corrigan surfaces thoughtful and effective strategies that she puts to the test as she has her own difficult conversation about a woman’s right to choose. 

My favorite episodes include the one with marriage experts The Gottmans. In the episode, they discuss the right and wrong ways for couples to fight and how to better resolve their differences. HINT: keeping your mouth shut and burying your resentment doesn't work. 

Anyone who is married or in a long-term relationship should listen to this episode. I learned a lot, and so will many listeners.

The episode where Corrigan (who is pro-choice) talks with April Lawson (who is pro-life) is a masterclass in deftly handling difficult conversations. Listen to this Corrigan - Lawson discussion, then go back and listen to the Biden-Trump debates of 2020 and tell me who is better at managing these difficult conversations. HINT: It's not the old geezers. Kelly Corrigan is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and the host of PBS’ long-form interview show Tell Me More. Kelly Corrigan Wonders is a show for people who like to laugh while they think and find it useful to look closely at ourselves and our weird ways in the hopes that knowing more and feeling more will help us do more and be better. A former newspaper columnist and four time bestselling author, Kelly wonders about loads of stuff: is knowing more always good? Can we trust our gut? How does change actually happen? She loves talking with nice people who have a sense of humor and know things worth knowing. Each episode ends with Corrigan’s shortlist of takeaways, appropriate for refrigerator doors, bulletin boards and notes to your children.

Kelly Corrigan Wonders is played weekly on KQED, WHYY and 14 other NPR stations across the country. The podcast, distributed by PRX, has been downloaded over 14 million times and has close to 3,000 5-star reviews across platforms. It is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Listeners can subscribe to Kelly's newsletter and follow her on Instagram for more updates.

Let me finish by offering an example of how good Kelly Corrigan is, and it's not even on her own podcast. 

 In the December 14, 2023, episode of Sound Judgment, host Elaine Appleton Grant interviewed Corrigan about the skills needed to be a superb podcast host and interviewer.

In the episode, Grant and Corrigan share stories of their battle with cancer, stimulating our empathy muscle.

"I'm trying to make your listening worth it. We are asking for your attention, which is an exquisite currency, with so much coming at you," Corrigan observes.

Corrigan notes that "People have their go-to sound bites during interviews." She adds that people who are interviewed often develop an expertise about the event.

In an interview, Corrigan seeks out something not said before from the interview subject.  Corrigan wants the best from an interview subject. She explains how she goes beyond the mutually agreed-upon script to search for personal revelations. 

Then, Corrigan introduces the concept of intellectual humility, replacing conviction with curiosity because we don't know what we don't know. 

"Personal information in an interview lands for listeners," Corrigan. "It lands in the context of their life."

Corrigan recommends listening to a potential guest to get a sense of their cadence and rhythm before you interview them.Check out Kelly Corrigan Wonders and her five-part Rupture and Repair series. Sit down, have a cup of coffee or tea, and be prepared to get shoved out of your comfort zone and love every minute of it.

[theantarwitch]

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham – Honest Review Request

Even with my harsh salty honesty, and the fact I’m not Wiccan, I will not be a crap and rant about the things I find wrong or not in the Wicca aspect because this is a book review and because there are already posts about it in general. So my review will be, as usual, so “impartial” as I can be and mostly pragmatic.

Requested by  il-re-kaneki

Pros:

Book easy to read, no complex language or huge dense chunks of text, great to new witches.

The Basics are well explained, simple.

Warning us that there are no Pure Wicca, which, knowing the roots of the wiccan, is true. Is not trying to sell the This Is The Book as many others do.

Based in the idea that rituals and spells mentioned in the book are not The Only Form but more like a guide, users can change them accordingly their path and need.

Mention that the majority of the Wiccan books are based to the same basics so they tend to be repetitive and coven-oriented (one plus star from my Solitary Eclectic salty ass).

Don’t claim be the True Way To Deity or to be The Way To Save The Planet.

MENTIONS OF THE CLOSED PRACTICE’S ASPECT OF WICCA. Good, yes, finally.

No “Magick” mention (I mean the magic with K).

The magical aspect, spells and all is pretty good.

There is no Tool/ Ingredient/ Prayer that’s 10000000% needed so or so. Good!

No mentions of Black Magic, Black Arts or anything “Black”, no obvious racism.

Good exercises ad techniques, nothing too complex.

A lot of mentions about the ecological aspect, social justice and help others.

Tons of examples of rites.

Very lax and non-orthodox, allow to relax and don’t take rites and stuffs too seriously, pointing that nothing will affect that badly if you mess it up.

Keep the idea that “deities” are not entities that will destroy you for any mistake but compassionate beings that will probably forgive anything (except extreme things).

Recipes for food, incense, oils; with no mega complicated expensive af ingredient.

Herbs. Extra point for not use white sage or smudging.

Runes. Simple and well explained. Rune spells.

Simple cool spells.

Glossary. Good for new witches.

A lot of extra books listed in the end.

 Cons:

“Ineffective spells kill spirituality” I’m sorry what? Spells can stop to work for a hundred reasons, spells can SEEMS that are not working when they are, in fact, working… And when a spell doesn’t work, the step is learn why, research, grow… how that kill spirituality?

 “Practitioners of both sexes” “God and Goddess” “Women and Men” “she or he” * sigh in definitely not cis * Is 2022 folks…      

The book has a globalized tint. “Wicca the religion of the Witches” Not ALL the witches are wiccans. Later he says that Magic and Wicca are not the same thing and that if you don’t want the religious aspect, then Wicca is not maybe for you, so… he kinda retract himself, so let’s give a half con lol.

“Every deity that has received worship upon this planet exists with the archetypal God and Goddess. The complex pantheons of deities that arose in many parts of the world are simply the aspect of the two”. Simplify ALL the deities (mostly of which are from 5.000 to 20.000 years older or OLDER) like that is pretty much a middle finger to deities that you don’t even know… And later you say “not all”??? Make your mind. I know you give a fuck about LGTBQ+ but at least DO BASIC RESEARCH. I will provide basic google info in a previous post HERE.

A delicate misogynic touch, by saying that wiccans who adore only the Goddess leaving the masculine side apart, is “unbalanced and unnatural”. Sir??

The feminine and masculine aspects of the god and goddess are an exact copy of the gender roles in society and keep the basic stereotypes of them. Nurturing males doesn’t exist, dominant women neither, and much less anything in the middle, apparently…

Sex and nudity mentions. Why...?

“Don’t blow candles”. A little later he says “do it your way, not my way simply because is on paper” Sir are you ok?

“We don’t bow down the deities” WHY NOT? I bowed mine three times each day because I RESPECT THEM. You don’t tell me what to do * bow 39 times just because he told me to NOT do it and I’m a rebel *

Dates and seasons accordingly the north hemisphere. If you live on the south hemisphere, do the convert because he don’t do it.

Cultural Appropriation list:

-          The idea that Wicca’s spirituality descends of primitive religions. Something created in the early twentieth century can’t be rooted to primitive shamanistic closed religions without fall in the cultural appropriation.

-          “Wicca as a Shamanic Religion”. I will drop Saint Wiki: In the 20th century, non-Indigenous Westerners involved in counter-cultural movements, such as hippies and the New Age created modern magico-religious practices influenced by their ideas of various Indigenous religions, creating what has been termed neoshamanism or the neoshamanic movement. It has affected the development of many neopagan practices, as well as faced a backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation, exploitation and misrepresentation when outside observers have tried to practice the ceremonies of, or represent, centuries-old cultures to which they do not belong.

-          Any deity is open for him, no matter if the culture was destroyed by white people and forced to hide their beliefs… He never heard about Closed practices…

-          Karma. And the wrong idea of karma… I will say it simple: If you are not part of a religion/culture that believe in karma (Hinduism and Buddhism, for example) you have no karma (or chakras). Period. There is something called Cosmic Justice, is open…

 General view: 3.5 stars, 6.5/10. Is good for new witches, can seems a little dense because seems to have a lot of steps, and the cons are heavy, but at least not fall in a lot of common mistakes. In general is okay, specially having in mind the cons. Not a book I would read again tho XD

At least was a good experience and I never refuse to read about things. Feel free to ask more.

[mooncaps]

So, if I'm understanding correctly, the thing that makes a woman a woman essentially boils down to: wanting to be and be seen as a woman.

And yes, I'm aware that my mom's definition is very narrow. On some logical level I know that her view, largely shaped by her religious beliefs, is not consistent with the practical realities of navigating gender in this culture. She's in my head though. Those beliefs are drilled into me so deeply that I kind of hate myself for questioning my gender at all. That being said, I'm trying to see past all that, to figure out who I genuinely am, reconnect with who I was behind what I felt like I was supposed to be, and navigate all the versions of me I could be tomorrow.

My idea of not deserving to be a woman comes a little bit from my mom and certain parts of society, but also from my low opinion of myself, which in turn comes from a host of other psychological baggage. I see women (trans and cis) as heroes, brave, beautiful, strong, and magical. I don't see myself that way. It's like that Tumblr post with the journal entry from the girl who learned what lesbian means and then said girls are amazing, but boys are an old shoe. I feel like the old shoe. I wish I could see myself as beautiful and magical. I've been trying to be gentler with myself. On the flip side, I've been asking myself why I can't just love myself as an old shoe and why I keep fighting against the urge to simply surrender to what my body wants me to be.

I'm definitely seeing your point about the hypothetical culture change. It wouldn't be enough to just wake up in a new world, I would need to have lived there my whole life. Even the culture I'm in has changed a lot since I was young, but I still have the baggage of a 90's kid raised in a religious environment. And with the socio-cultural elements of it, I wonder if maybe I feel disconnected from my gender because I rarely socialize.

As for what would make me happy, all I can say for sure is that the idea of aligning with the concepts of masculinity that I've learned from my socio-cultural background would make me unhappy. I think I would find some happiness in feminine presentation. Not sure about identity. I feel certain I'd find happiness in being a shapeshifter, but that's just a fairytale dream. The idea of declaring war on my middle-aged and poorly-cared-for body, disappointing my mom, and becoming the central target of conservative hate, all to still fail to see myself as beautiful, feels overwhelming. Even if I could succeed at it, I'm not sure if I would feel like it was worth the cost.

And I'm still consumed by doubt. There have been times in my life where I was convinced I wanted things, only to look back a decade later and realize I wanted those things for the wrong reasons and some of them would've actually been bad for me. It's hard to trust myself, to feel like I have the right to define these things for myself, to trust that what I think I want is actually going to be good for me.

Sorry for dumping so many of my issues on you like this. I've been pretty desperate to talk to people who are knowledgeable about this stuff. If I'm oversharing or overwhelming, feel free to tell me to stop.

How do you tell the difference between gender dysphoria and just feeling ugly? How do you know if you have a different gender identity or if you just want to be free of gender roles? What separates wanting to wear a pretty dress while being a man from wanting to wear a pretty dress because you're not a man?

[divinatorydoll]

how jupiter in aries will affect us: 📝

jupiter in aries is an exciting transit that we'll be experiencing until may 16th, 2023. jupiter's ingress into aries will supply the collective with a straightforward, persistent, and achievement-driven energy.

as i said in my instagram live about this transit, jupiter is going to give us brand new eyes in the sense that we will see situations and people for who they are, regardless of the time we've spent with them. remember that aries is the sign of eyesight and clarity; with jupiter representing wisdom and honesty, we're going to develop a more truthful understanding of others and our own circumstances.

jupiter will impact you differently depending on the house(s) it moves through while it transits aries, read more below !!

JUPITER IN ARIES THROUGHOUT THE HOUSES:

jupiter in the 1H: a nice time to gain weight. you may feel a desire to dress / express yourself more pompously and independently — also a good time to dye your hair red or wear more red clothing, accessories, etc. this transit is also particularly helpful for figuring out elements of your identity and behavior.

jupiter in the 2H: this is an ideal transit for starting your own business or working towards establishing your own sources of income, rather than relying on someone else's. this would also be a magnificent time to build more self-esteem and deepen your spiritual relationship with yourself.

jupiter in the 3H: perfect for learning a new language. great for re-evaluating conflicts with your siblings and extended family, especially those that involve honesty, integrity, or a difference in beliefs. this would also be a good time to resolve (legal) issues with your neighbors or members of your local community.

jupiter in the 4H: helpful for establishing boundaries in your domestic space and family life, especially if you have a parent / housemate who is domineering or acts like a know-it-all. this is also great for personalizing your home and making it your own if you feel like it lacks individuality or character.

jupiter in the 5H: wonderful for having casual sex / establishing refreshing sexual relationships; getting into a new romantic relationship is also very possible. the 5H also has much to do with children, so pregnancy is also something to keep in mind when experiencing this particular transit.

jupiter in the 6H: a fabulous time to introduce new things into your routine that will stick; things that will actually benefit you too. more of a chance to face conflicts with the higher-ups at your workplace. you could also experience some inflammation or headaches more frequently during this transit, as aries rules both.

jupiter in the 7H: you could find yourself getting into more abrasive situations with people in public spaces, so try to navigate social situations wisely. perfect for settling contractual disputes or finalizing a divorce. ironically, this is also a great transit for "giving new life" to your existing close relationships, whether that's marital, romantic, platonic, etc

jupiter in the 8H: great for adding to a savings account / creating a collection of personal wealth for yourself. a good time for releasing shame around "skeletons in the closet" and personal embarrassments. there's also much opportunity with this transit to spice up your sexual life and try new, exciting things sexually.

jupiter in the 9H: this transit can make very powerful changes to your faith and your philosophies — make sure you interrogate your beliefs and analyze why you believe what you do. excellent for accumulating publicity and attaining media opportunities, as well as publishing personal bodies of work such as memoirs, autobiographies, self-portraits, etc.

jupiter in the 10H: an incredible time for showing off your originality in the public sphere and establishing your own name amongst others in your industry. great for making plans for your future that involve marriage, wealth, higher education, religious practices, etc.

jupiter in the 11H: this transit will help you see your friendships and social circles with unadulterated clarity — it can be a time for difficult conversations with people because they show you a side of themselves that they've never revealed to you before. think before you speak on social media as your opinions will be evaluated more intensely during this period.

jupiter in the 12H: many significant spiritual realizations can be made under this transit. there also tends to be an inherent need for personal space and isolation from others, even without realizing it. a greater chance to experience dreams or visions that have violent imagery (such as seeing weaponry, fighting, injury, etc.)

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