#angels are not mystical creatures from another realm

[rabbitsrants]

PROOF THAT SHINRAN IS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ROMANCES OF ALL TIME - PART 3

if you haven't already read the posts i've linked down below, please make sure to do so before you proceed, cause they're important for context. thank you so much in advance!

CLICK HERE FOR PART 1

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

as i've already explained in my disclaimer, my ultimate goal with this masterlist is to prove how well written shinran is - it's to demonstrate that they're unquestionably each other's half and the heart of the dcmk universe.

people often minimize the importance that shinichi and ran have in each other's lives by labeling them as boring, predictable "childhood sweethearts" which couldn't be further from the truth.

so far we've established that

1) shinichi doesn't fall for ran gradually, which is what usually happens with dcmk childhood friends, he knows right away that ran's something special.

2) even though they share the same core values, their personalities are very different, which has a positive effect on them individually: ran gets shinichi to come out of his shell and contributes to his emotional growth, while shinichi grounds ran and helps her articulate her feelings.

now it's time to analyze the part i teased in part two already:

they share a soul

god, where do i even begin? this post is probably going to be ridiculously long but it's by far the most crucial part of my analysis, so please bear with me. cause as far as i'm concerned? this is the main reason why shinichi and ran belong together.

don't get me wrong, love at first sight is a beautiful concept and i deeply appreciate the fact that shinichi and ran complement each other, however, they aren't the only dcmk duo that brings out the best in each other.

what sets them apart from other dcmk dynamics in the most meaningful way is the undeniable fact that their hearts are one and the same. but what is that even supposed to mean? let's break it down, shall we?

their intuition

this segment of the break-down deserves its own post, because there are countless instances of shinichi and ran showcasing incredible instincts, but i'll try to keep it concise for now. both shin and ran arguably have a sixth sense. that's already fascinating on its own, but what i'm really trying to home in on is that their intuition offers them great insight into other people's souls. sometimes i get the impression they carry a compass that points at people and tells them who's trustworthy and who's not.

chapter 22

chapter 892

ran has so many reasons to doubt takeshi and shinichi has so many reasons to doubt amuro, but they instinctively know they can trust them. shinichi even feels safe enough to confront amuro, which is incredible, cause my boy takes a huge risk by directly questioning his allegiance.

idk about y'all but i think that's beautiful. it reminds me of an amazing quote from a famous philosopher:

their souls are pure. which is why they're able to recognize that quality in other people and each other.

their optimism

despite all the darkness that shinichi and ran face every single day, they have a really optimistic outlook on life. ngl, their unwavering positivity makes me extremely emotional.

chapter 252

shinichi gets shot by criminals and he's slowly bleeding to death. the detective boys feel like it's their fault that shin got hurt, they blame themselves and feel hopeless. my boy is in pain, he's fighting for his life, he's probably even scared, it'd be more than understandable if he saw their point and regretted the unfortunate situation they found themselves in. but he doesn't:

he chooses to look on the bright side. even in death.

which, fortunately, gets the detective boys out of their dark way of thinking. shin helps them understand that, yes, they're on a bumpy road, but at least it's leading somewhere.

chapter 780

shinichi gets a culprit to reveal he's from the kansai region by successfully provoking him with a fake accent, but shin doesn't just piss off the culprit, he also pisses off kazuha and heiji, so kazuha begins to wonder whether people from the kansai region are narrow-minded and ran's perspective is something i did NOT see coming:

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE THIS ADORABLE AND WISE?!

just like shinichi ran's able to offer kazuha a surprisingly positive outlook on her concerns, which genuinely makes her feel better.

there are many instances of their unshakable optimism and the effect it has on others, it's really beautiful to examine.

i recommend y'all look into it on your own, cause in this part of my masterlist i merely have the space to touch on shared traits like their great intuition and firm optimism, but now it's time to get into the biggest and most important portion of this analysis!

their idealism

i hope y'all read the disclaimer i've linked at the beginning! if you haven't, i urge you to read it before you continue with this post!

shinrans shared idealism is something i've already mentioned in part two of my masterlist, but there's so much more to say about it:

i'd argue that it's the main thing that connects them. not to shade my own children, but they value justice and human life so much, for most people, including me, it sometimes borders on stupidity.

but that's the thing, shinichi kudo and ran mouri aren't most people.

cause most dcmk characters 1) don't initially share their virtues and 2) question their admittedly heroic but also terribly reckless actions, whereas shinichi and ran support and admire each other because of it. because they're the same.

i'm about to give a few examples of shinichi and ran being the most idealistic characters in the manga and for the purpose of full context, i have to showcase the contrast between shinran's morals and the values of other characters. i appreciate and care about every single character who's brought up in the next part of my essay, so don't take this post as an invitation for hostility towards them, that's not my goal, okay? okay. let's proceed.

a) sense of justice and heroism

chapter 239-240

shinichi impulsively investigates the black organization. haibara repeatedly reminds him that he's being reckless and putting himself in danger, she even mocks his strong sense of justice and initially refuses to join his investigation because she's smart and values self preservation. haibara ends up joining him after all, but keeps urging him to drop his investigation and leave with her.

i don't blame her one bit for her approach to the situation... truth be told, her reaction makes a lot more sense to me than shinichi's 😂 but that's because i share her pragmatism.

at this point in the manga shinichi and haibara have zero support. neither the fbi, nor the cia is helping them. it's incredibly dangerous for them to go after the black organization completely alone and it's not just unsafe for them individually either, it's risky for everyone they care about. their exposure would endanger a lot of people, including agasa, ran, kogoro, the detective boys, etc...

and safety concerns aside, why would she care about justice in that situation anyway? how could she, a teen who's trapped in a child's body, possibly hold the black organization accountable without any help?

so yeah, i strongly believe that if you look at the situation logically, haibara's point of view makes a lot more sense than shinichi's and it's fair of her to choose safety over justice, especially when the latter seems so impossible achieve.

too bad that shinichi doesn't give a flying fuck about things like common sense or self preservation. he's completely driven by idealism, it's what defines him as a person, in more ways than one. the only person in the dcmk universe who accurately mirrors his righteousness is ran mouri and it expresses itself through countless parallels that completely contrast haibara's position in chapter 239-240

chapter 44

shinichi pretty much lashes out at the murderer for personal reasons which i dive into here. on top of that, he's passionately opposed to the culprit's idea of using justice as a reason for murder and guess what? ran unsurprisingly feels the same way:

chapter 313

the obvious observation here is that their speeches are remarkably alike, but what i find even more fascinating is the fact that the killers react so similarly. shinran's sense of justice is so powerful, it doesn't just guide their own actions, it even moves morally corrupt people and holds them accountable.

furthermore, the concept of personal safety is completely lost on both shinichi and ran lol.

they constantly risk their lives for other people, including haibara, who, as we already established, initially disregards heroism.

chapter 289

chapter 434

AHHHHH!!! THE PARALLELS ARE KILLING ME

anyway, i'm not trying to undermine the beauty and complexity of haibara's character, she's incredibly well written and i think it's important to emphasize that she's actually attempting to sacrifice herself in both of these chapters.

i actually really appreciate the fact that haibara is this complicated person with a rough background who slowly figures out her values with the help of her friends, imo it gives her layers.

i'm simply pointing out that upon her initial introduction her virtues instinctively differ from shinran's, it takes her some time to grow into the same kind of heroism that shinichi and ran display from the get-go. because they inspire her. but i'll go over that in a minute.

b) they value human life

one of shinichi's main attributes has always been his profound interest in human life. it's a quality that i never questioned until recently because i always figured it was due to his work as a detective.

but the more i think about it, the less it works as an explanation because we know a lot of detectives in the dcmk universe who don't share his interest in protecting people at all costs.

interestingly enough, there is a character who shares his passion but it's not someone who professionally deals with human life - it's just a compassionate, tenderhearted girl who instinctively wants to keep others safe no matter what.

chapter 1026

ran saves a murderer from suicide

which reminds me of shinichi attempting to do the same in another chapter:

chapter 67

he tries so hard... but unlike ran he ultimately fails.

and who's there to comfort him? who's the only person in the whole world who naturally understands his sorrow, who truly knows how valuable human life is and wants to protect it just as much as he does? ran. of course it's ran.

and it will always be ran.

having said that, analyzing shinran's idealism is beyond fascinating to me because i rarely share their virtues or courage. my values are more aligned with the rest of the dcmk universe:

chapter 153

shinichi notices that a culprit is about to kill herself and gets in the way of her plans. heiji's response resonates with me a lot.

CAUSE YEAH, what's the point of keeping someone alive against their will? isn't that infinitely crueler than just letting them die? maybe.

but shinichi and ran don't give a fuck lol. they don't stop the murderers suicide attempts because they're heartless though. it's the opposite, really.

as we already established, both shinichi and ran are optimists at heart, so they believe or least hope that people can always better themselves. i think that's the main reason why the interfere.

besides, shinichi and ran simply care too much about justice - they need culprits to be held accountable and they respect human life too much to allow suicide.

again, do i share their passionate interest in human life? LOL, hell no. i think very few people are capable of being that idealistic. most people, including me, value innocent life but shinichi and ran? they value life regardless of innocence and on top of that, they even value the lives of people who ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO KILL THEM

chapter 773

a man is threatening to bomb the detective agency, he could kill ran, kogoro and sera within SECONDS and what does my girl ran do? yeah, she saves his life, LOL!

she's already in immense danger and she's seconds away from being saved, but she goes out of her way and puts herself even more at risk, just to save a guy who's threatening her life. WHY?!

because that's just who she is.

understandably, sera is baffled. she doesn't get it.

which makes sense, cause, again, there's only one character in the entire manga who truly understands ran and passionately agrees with her principles and that's shinichi kudo:

their idealism never wavers. it's perplexing for characters like haibra, heiji, sera and even for me as a reader. it's also extremely inspiring though. which brings me to my next point!

c) they inspire others

chapter 239

remember how haibara initially refuses to join shinichi during his investigation? guess what changes her mind...

even though haibara mocks shinichi's idealism and admittedly doesn't understand it in the beginning, it does get her thinking.

she grows up under terrible circumstances which force her to prioritize her safety over human life, but after watching shinichi for a while, she comes to the realization that she no longer has to live that way.

his unshakable idealism fascinates and encourages her, she's reminded that she has choices now and suddenly she finds herself wanting to do better.

but shinichi isn't the only person who helps her evolve in a pretty significant way:

chapter 313

ran's speech about justice and courage deeply moves haibara in the same way it affects the culprit.

her speech doesn't just give haibra the courage to finally introduce herself to ran after months of avoiding her (for reasons i'll get into in part four of my masterlist) i'd argue it also contributes to her finally facing the black organization in chapter 434

while shinichi helps haibara understand that she has choices now and urges her not to run from her fate, ran motivates haibara to be courageous and face her fate. it's actually incredible how much they help haibara, just by being themselves.

chapter 398-400

check out the blog of my wonderful friend aracaeli who recently brought attention to an extremely underrated chapter which emphasizes that ran doesn't just affect characters like haibara, she even inspires her other half shinichi, which is a remarkable accomplishment, considering their morals are generally completely aligned.

ran's idealism knows no bounds. how could it not move people? especially someone like haibara who's just starting to get familiar with the concept of friendship.

in this chapter ran's idealism inspires countless people (shinichi, haibara, the detective boys, the murderer) it says so much about her character and it's such a touching reading experience.

chapter 153

remember how heiji understandably regrets saving the murderer from suicide after seeing her devastating reaction? shinichi knows exactly what to say:

AGAIN, personally, i don't even blame heiji for his initial views. frankly, i agree with them! but it's really hard not to be affected by shinichi's powerful words. i can see how they could completely change the mindset of a passionate detective like heiji. and they do.

chapter 188

to the point that heiji's willing to risk his life because of them...

chapter 774

even sera, who can be a bit morally corrupt at times, is impressed with ran's strong virtues:

but that's to be expected, considering that shinichi and ran even had an impact on vermouth who's an established, ruthless serial killer.

i know, i already extensively talked about the new york case in part two, but it's such an important chapter for shinran that i feel the need to bring it up again, especially if it's going to continue the wonderful discourse i've been having about it with amazing bloggers like sakublogs who i urge you to check out!

chapter 353

this case is so, so special to me because it fundamentally captures the essence of shinran.

vermouth is about to take ran's life but the railing she is leaning on breaks and she's about fall to her impending doom... until ran intuitively grabs her arm and tries to save her:

you'd think that shinichi would urge ran to let go, cause that's what any rational person would do, right? but he doesn't. instead he assists ran. again, WHY?

because... they can't fucking help themselves. because THAT'S JUST WHO THEY ARE.

shinichi and ran are completely led by their intuition, optimism and idealism. nobody values justice, courage and human life the way do, it's in their bones and hearts, it's not something they grow into, it's in their nature.

their spiritual connection is their most defining quality as a couple and it's the reason why i'm convinced that shinran is gosho's best written ship and beyond that, one of the most brilliantly written romances of all time.

it's difficult to do shinran justice in condensed essays like this, but i hope i was able to illustrate their amazing personalities and offer some insight into their captivating bond.

it's why i've been closely following their story since my early childhood. they have the same effect on me they have on other dcmk characters. shinichi and ran inspire me, they touch my soul and restore my faith in people. they're not just a cute couple - they're a symbol of hope.

vermouth puts it best:

visit the shinran library for more

[fragileheartbeats]

Create another valyrian household that escaped Valyria. They hid themselves away by magic on an island not visible to anyone, they don't wish to be seen. On an island with a huge fortress accompanied with another smaller fortress which is basically a library. They are similar to Targaryens, but much more knowledgeable on everything (thanks to Valyria). They ride dragons, purple shades of eyes, silver-gold hair. Only two differences being, they have never been married outside of family(yuck) with no Westerosi blood therefore very different customs, fully valyrian customs and traditions rather than Westerosi+valyrian(Targs, Vels). Hope you have fun, thank you:)

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ 𓇼 ࣪ 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𓈒ㅤׂㅤ⭒⠀

꒰͡ ⠀ ִ 𝐺𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐿𝐸 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐿𝑂𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 ⠀ׂ ⠀ ͡꒱

─ 𝘈 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𖤐

─ 𝘈 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𖤐

In the rich tapestry of Valyrian history, woven with the threads of power, magic, and dragonfire, the House Lyrielle stands as a testament to the enduring grace and wisdom of Old Valyria. Their story is a whisper on the wind, a secret melody sung by the waves that surround their hidden island sanctuary. Known to but a few, the Lyrielles are the guardians of a legacy untainted by the ambition and corruption that led to the Doom. The sigil of House Lyrielle is as enigmatic as the house itself—an angelic dragon, graceful and serene, enwreathed in a ring of white roses against a backdrop of deepest emerald. The dragon, smaller in stature but fierce in its intelligence and agility, represents the nature of the Lyrielles' own dragons. The emerald ground symbolizes their secluded island, a jewel hidden in the vast sea, and the white roses signify the purity of their intentions and the mystical barriers that veil their home from the unwary eye. Their words, "Beyond Sight, Within Light," speak to the heart of the House Lyrielle ethos. They live beyond the sight of the known world, in a realm of their own making, where knowledge and virtue shine brighter than any Valyrian steel. These words are a promise of their commitment to the greater good, a reminder of their hidden presence guiding the fate of the world from the shadows. The Lyrielles, in their seclusion, have preserved the purity of their Valyrian bloodline, untouched by Westerosi influence. Their customs and traditions remain a living tapestry of Old Valyria's glory, a culture preserved in amber amidst the tumultuous seas of change. Education and learning are held in the highest regard. The smaller fortress, known as the Lyceum of Light, houses a vast collection of scrolls and tomes, not only on magic and dragonlore but on the sciences, arts, and philosophies of the wider world. Even though the Lyrielles seclude themselves from the outside, they possess an insatiable thirst for knowledge that keeps their minds as sharp as their swords. The Lyrielles are ethereal in their beauty, with eyes that hold the mysteries of the universe—shades of purple that shift with the light. Their silver-gold hair flows like liquid moonlight, a hallmark of their Valyrian bloodline. They are skilled in the art of healing, their touch capable of mending wounds that would confound even the most learned maesters. Their bond with their dragons is profound, rooted in a deep understanding and respect for these majestic creatures.

Their dragons, lithe and swift, mirror their masters in both appearance and temperament. With scales that catch the moon's light, casting reflections in hues of amethyst and sapphire, they are specters of the night sky, their presence felt rather than seen, their agility unmatched by any creature, mythical or otherwise. To the Lyrielles, the world outside is a place of beauty marred by the scars of greed and violence. They see themselves as custodians of what remains pure and true. Their philosophy is one of balance and harmony, seeking to preserve the natural world and its wonders. They are benevolent, yet their kindness is not a weakness but a strength, fortified by their unwavering sense of justice and fairness.

The Lyrielles embody a paradox. They are both guardians and isolationists, wielding their power to protect the natural world and its untold secrets while shunning the very societies they seek to preserve from afar. Their personalities are marked by a gentle demeanor, an innate grace that belies the strength and wisdom that centuries of unbroken tradition have instilled in them. They are the custodians of healing, their knowledge of the arcane arts allowing them to mend wounds and cure maladies thought beyond the reach of mortal hands. Yet, for all their power and knowledge, the Lyrielles possess a naivety born of their seclusion. They view the outside world through the lens of caution and fear, tales of its dangers passed down through generations. This isolation has fostered a deep sense of kinship and loyalty among them, their bonds unbreakable, their trust in one another absolute. In a realm where the quest for power often leads to ruin, House Lyrielle remains a beacon of hope. They are the whisper in the heart of the storm, the unseen hand that guides towards light. Their existence is a testament to the belief that even in the darkest of times, there are those who shine brightly, not for glory or fame, but for the love of all that is good and true in the world.

My other original house:

House Celestyr

House Valysar

@fragileheartbeats . Don't plagiarise, repost, or translate any of my works on here or any other websites.

@emily2003alzaga @nash-dara @altaircc @heavenly1927 @omgsuperstarg @asoiafhyperfixation

[mages-pandoras-box]

Stand off

(Closed starter for @infernal-feminae)

When an angel becomes king of a land, they can always tell when someone new has entered it. They can tell what species they are and who they are if tuned to their aura.

So when the angel - or angels - enter his realm, Philza instantly knows, just as Lucifer would know when someone enters Hell or Sera when someone enters Heaven.

As the angels fly across the border, the skies suddenly change, colorful auras light the forever night sky, and bright stars twinkle overhead, not a touch of light pollution present. The land was covered in mystical trees and plants, flowers of all shades with creatures of all kinds.

Color beacons of light stretch into the sky, and the angels would be able to feel their own magic reacting to the beams, becoming stronger and getting a boost.

Philza's crows were everywhere, watching the newcomer's every move. Most were still in their crow forms, but 1/5 were in their angel forms, heads slowly following the Heavenly Angels as they passed them toward the middle.

The angels would touch down at the start of a large build, and they'd see Philza, or as they know him, Azrael, with his back to them.

Gone were the white and purple robes that the seraphim once adored, replaced with a black undershirt, dark green samue, and white and green striped bucket hat. Philza's black wings were tucked behind him, and the rainbow markings represented some of his many eyes blinking slowly at his visitors.

The scyth that was once used to reap souls now terraformed the earth, creating more colorful, exotic plants as Philza brandished it like a wand, his angelic magic seeping from the blade into the forest floor. After a moment, he stopped.

"Finally came to visit, eh?" A British accent that Philza did not have before leaving Heaven bled into his words, making his voice sound deep and soft, almost fatherly. He turned to his visitors, a passive yet apprehensive look on his face.

Even his eyes had changed. The once plum irises contrasted by lavender sclera had changed into a human blue and white sclera; they looked tired yet proud as he stood before the people he once considered to be allies or family.

"Why are you here?" he asks after another moment.

[atrayo]

Channeled Angelic Wisdom of the Jewels of Truth Series on Beloved Kinship, Unique Blessed Talents, & godly Ascension

Hello All,

As we're on the cusp of being one month away from the start of the holiday quarter of the year. I wanted to reach out and post another trio of angelic-channeled Jewels of Truth statements. All three topics touch upon the spiritual Intuitive gifts in some fashion or another. Just as it is seen as pious to develop one's divine gifts from God in his worship. It is also seen as righteous by the heavenly angelic host to develop your Intuitive faculties in conjunction with further appreciating the holy upon the world and the afterlife therein. 

Perhaps with the exception of Judaism where the High Priest could use oracular abilities. The other two Abramahic faiths of Christianity and Islam go basically frantic when a person embraces their divine clairvoyant Inheritance on earth. 

If it wasn't for my not listening to my Inner divine calling as a scribe utilizing psychic Inspirational automatic writing to date. There would be no Jewels of Truth series of 28 years of channeling spiritual compassionate wisdom, metaphysics, and mysticism at large as a clairaudient and claircognizant. As they say no risk, no reward. 

I always affirm the presence of God's Absolute Love in my life. Whenever I connect informally and formally with the angels, fairies, mythological lesser deities, and so forth. In that way, there is nothing to fear and they arrive always like a gentle whisper in my mind's eye when spoken to telepathically. As long as you pray and ground yourself to Heaven and Earth as a beginner. You can cross the spiritual realms with confidence with the only caveat is if you channel something garbled your human ego got in the way. 

Today's trio of topics consists of Beloved Kinship which covers the statement of praying to departed loved ones be they a person, a pet, or some nostalgic place in a distant time. Next, there is the topic of Unique Blessed Talents which delves into the Intuitive Clairvoyant suite of psychic senses of your spirit/aura and Divine White Magicks overall. Lastly, there is the topic of godly Ascension as a summary of how and why to prepare your spirit for the hardcore ascetics to overcome the world in general. 

May you find these topics intriguing, to say the least regardless if their merit is too much as a bridge too far for you to travel in your faith with God to date. Amen.

Beloved Kinship:

3262) When any loved one as a dearest fellow person, creature, and even a place in time fades from recent memory upon the world. They are surely missed from our daily lives in terms of intermediate contacts generally being the case. 

It is here one must have the self-realization that such a beloved consciousness recollected isn't in vain at all. That what is omitted now in a permanent fashion due to the finite mortal coil by appearance's sake can indeed return. Just not under its original guise in question that must be readily acknowledged in peace. 

Here is where personal sorrow can be eased and lessened by developing your own psychic spiritual faculties upon the world responsibly. These are standard skills or senses of your Soul on earth in the Image and Likeness of God as what you call your Divinity. Available to all physical beings be they human or some other sort of creature such as mammals, reptiles, etc... However, humanity is the keenest able to discern intellectually where the other species of the earth are not so much. 

No one entity as a Being can deny you your graces of spiritual interactions with the Heavenly Host. These expressions are profoundly Holy and carry the gravity of the Will of God upon them as Divine Law. To be intimidated by well-meaning religious Institutions and other secular organizations leaves you at their mercy. The faith-filled being better prepared as in skilled to face the world spiritually and intellectually can offset many troubles over time. 

The Holier Realms are your Divine Birthright here on Earth, whether you construe it as Heaven on Earth or something else by another namesake. If you are deaf, dumb, and mute with your innate psychic standard gifts then surely you can easily be manipulated by conditions on the ground at a huge disadvantage. 

With all beginnings, you will stumble like a naive toddler learning to speak, read the omens, signal, and walk in an Intuitive psychic fashion. Taking years to learn the spiritual Intuitive basics and decades to master all the rest upon a mortal lifetime. There are grand differences between the mundane physical dominion of your Creation and the spiritual realities be they astral, fairy, or heavenly. The Inner Mind's Eye of your 3rd Chakra is the conduit of self-realized expressions feeling and not necessarily thinking your way to parse your Intuition. 

One has ample time and opportunity to engage with the Holy Masters be they angels, ancestors, and the lesser deities as exalted angelic beings overall. What can be easily dismissed as mere nonsense intellectually has profound emotional undertones if interpreted correctly. However, if your Intuitive faculties have you startled easily like a child. 

Then consider the tried and true devotional tools or graces all religions espouse in one manner or another. For example, prayer to your ancestors be they loved ones or historical figures and then watch for coincidences as validations of their generic or specific response to you personally. Next, there is counting your blessings as a form of thanksgiving. In giving thanks to the heavens be they God, your beloved ancestors, and/or the angels you open up your heart to receive divine blessings. As like attracts like kind as an echo response of goodwill. 

There are other spiritual devotional tools such as supplication this is the needy form of prayer versus the conversational kind. Calling in for reinforcements to aid you to lessen dire conditions and circumstances in your life from the greater hereafter. Often a bulwark after a prayer of supplication there are Affirmations here to empower your psychological sensibilities in the world. Claiming such and such is a truth in your personality matrix alleviating your fears of lack and/or trouble. Affirmations provide you the worshipper of God with levers to switch on strength as living courage. When everything else appears toxic all around you in a temporary fashion. 

When you pray, give thanks, supplicate, affirm, and so forth to a loved one upon the afterlife. The Holy Ghost as the exalted Supreme Spirit of God hears it simultaneously and profoundly. Where it is dispatched to your guardian angels and other ancestral supporters in paradise like an instant email system. It is Indeed Instant due to the timeless nature of the afterlife without the constraint of temporal occurrences. 

Often if you listen deeply and gently enough you can feel the immense love pouring out to you. It can be sensed like a wave of positivity washing through you giving you chills up and down your back. Where the 1st Impression is often the correct response and not the one you perform overkill with by second-guessing yourself into paralyzation. 

It takes practice and immense patience to overcome incremental steps of the infancy of a beginner's development with your sacred Intuitive faculties of God in you. Never can it be rushed it has its own graceful elegance on your human end to endure. This is whether you adore a loved one as a person, a creature akin to a domestic or wild pet, or a place in time long since faded. None are far away in terms of situational or spatial spiritual Infinity. For Infinity is another conundrum dimensionally speaking with endless spacelessness as the extended Meta-Being of God(dess). Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo.

Unique Blessed Talents:

3261) Everyone as a Divine Being of God whether Incarnated or not upon other spectral ghostly forms of existence. Has an Intrinsic make-up directly attributed to the Likeness of God metaphysically as a co-creator, co-sustainer, and co-destroyer upon the world. These are but the basic premise of the meta-constant circular nature of the Great Mysterious Maker. 

Consider it akin to an Infinite unique watermark or fingerprint of your native bodily appearance as genetics go physically in time. Such a mark is both Holy and Sacred when it is posited upon the metaphysical afterlife by comparison as the extended essence of the Divine Supreme One. All are Children of God as people, creatures, ecosystems, meteorological patterns, etc... 

Unfortunately what is also Above in Heaven has its corrupted Twin in the Hellish realms of the cursed underworld of the afterlife. Each is considered a separate dominion of God itself. Structurally speaking what is perfect in Heaven is warped in Hell. Basically, Creation as your physical universe is shared equally with both Heaven and Hell in tandem. Heaven on Earth and Hell on Earth for instance as ethereal places as States of Being of both the Human Condition and other expressions of totality itself.

Every being or entity has latent powers of the Soul of God within them earnestly. Whether these are expressed responsibly by righteous means or selfish mean-spirited occurrences of misconduct. Although there is an equal spread of the type of clairvoyant and magical modalities upon the world. Each arrives uniquely through the person in question as configured differently as a pattern of proficiency. 

We the Heavenly hosts often realize someone is spiritually talented when they are cooking off abilities randomly without discipline. Much like a toddler with a cigarette lighter. When there is love in the home the person is stronger than any form of fear. Often their curiosity may pass in time and if not the old soul must be careful not to provoke the ire of relatives inadvertently. 

Heretofore we as the eternal blessed witnesses see all under the sun of men and women alike. When such godly holy nature exhibits itself naturally at first blush as it was said. These are powers or talents that need careful development if they are to be awakened spiritually with respect to all concerned. As there are physical bodily senses of sight, taste, hearing, touch, and smell. Your spirit body or aura has an equal set of spiritual senses as a ghost incarnated into a physical body. 

Often depicted as clairvoyance by sight, clairaudience by spiritual telepathic hearing, clairsentience by feeling akin to touch, clairalience as smell, clairgustance as taste, and an extra ability as claircognizance as Inner Knowing. These are the standard powers of all spirits regardless if they are disembodied or incarnated. 

Further afield there lay the godly angelic powers of said magicks of evocation, Invocations, conjuring, abjuring as forms of exorcism, and many other lesser pools of magical being. This too can be construed as either elemental as earth-based or divine high magicks as strictly interacting with the heavenly angels when faith is strong and conviction is steadfast. For some magical living is like a religion all its own settled within another contemporaneous spiritual tradition. Akin to a force multiplier that affords a bigger bang for your buck in divine interactions with hopefully only the heavenly host in question.

When there is such a silent majority upon the spiritual world living in the flesh whether declaring their utmost presence without fear. There can be a galvanized awakening for the world to realize what it has feared completely out of hand was an overreaction. Careful understanding with respect to the undertakings must be adhered to with sensibility. Nothing is to be taken for granted even if it means that it must be tested as there are truly no sacred cows as taboos. Question until you feel secure enough and then live by a higher sophisticated ideal of what it means to be truly spiritually alive in union by faith with God(dess). Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo.

godly Ascension:

3260) All forms of Divinity are not alike thus the makeup of truly being alive in faith united with the Heavenly Host is paramount not unlike anything before in spiritual truth. Every entity or being is an Infinite facet of the cosmic Creator the God of all gods supreme. All facets as slivers of the spect of God in each of you are truly universally unknowable it is a universe unto itself mysteriously so.

Your soul bodies must abide in utmost alignment with your spirit here on earth. If and when you decide to be devoted to religious or spiritual traditions of the endless afterlife. Here is what is by the auric tones symbolically what is entailed for spiritual ascension upon a lifetime briefly. The totality of God has generically extended out its hand to all whom would carry the sacred flame of truth with conviction. Not just into the world but all other astral and otherwise spiritual realms that be made so possible metaphysically. 

For a human being or any other semi-sentient intelligent creature out in your physical cosmos. Intends to live a devoted ascetic life in service to all including themselves without neglecting self-care. They can begin to syncretize themselves to wisdoms and other spiritual knowing beyond this world. This entails being adopted by the Holy Masters otherwise progress is dwarfed as the sojourn goes forward.

Depending on the religion or lack thereof of such a background many errors introduced by so-called learned men as theologians must be unlearned as innocent mistakes. This clears the way for later more complex rudimentary understandings to be envisioned within a lifetime. No one wants to move forward half-cocked only to realize they need to double back to undo assumed mistakes long ago made by well-meaning spiritual forefathers. 

All godly spiritual powers are angelic in holy nature period. The next evolution of all fully or partially intelligent lifeforms out in your cosmos spiritually speaking is into the next rung on the ladder of eternity and infinity as angelic in the perfect template of God itself. The animal or other ephemeral mortal coils on whichever planetary sphere you began upon are immaterial in question. All roads lead upwards as an uneven celestial cosmic corkscrew. 

You and I are different manifestations of the god force of the totality of being alive. You are human and I am angelic in godly holy nature. I am highly evolved and by happenstance, your soul eclipses my own since you have more than one soul, which I only have one which is the standard holy fare dearest "Ivan the Atrayo". 

The conundrum doesn't escape us as a paradoxical flip of the uneven nature of God to keep us all on our so-called toes as divine beings. As we explain these feats of ascension to your esteemed modern spiritual readers. There comes a limitation placed on what can be explained with simplicity based upon your human vocabulary as our oracle or herald. 

Those who are philosophically inclined may mutter what all this means with confidence. Your lack of a fuller education in the literary arts Ivan has afforded us the chance to work with you as a truly blank slate as it were said. To Be like God can not be overstated here for that is the yardstick of measurement required for any person to overcome the societal norms of convention at least metaphysically at present.

Here is where morality as the norms of virtues, ethics, and another sound basis of well-meaning care with common sense and uncommon wisdom is also required. At least for those seeking Enlightenment from Heaven. Enlightenment is possible through Hell, however, that is a tortured affair altogether and not the basis of this statement of the Jewels of Truth series. 

Detachment from the obstacles of modern living is a plus if one has the mental acumen to be divorced from the popular rage of the world. For spiritual service, whether you call this dharmic or something else must have a caring compassionate center within moderation to affect positive changes overall. To be extremely detached and one becomes a fool without any bearings as a balloon without any proper moorings. 

One must inhale life in all its glory and exhale all its lacking poisons, otherwise, imbalances will occur. Patience with fearlessness upon courage is also required to act when all others have frozen feet coupled with loathing fears. To Be Saint like is a good start, but not to the point you have an inflated vain ego because of it. Everything holistic whether mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual spheres are required when interacting with forces beyond your total control. Anything short of this call upon us the heavenly host to aid your path when encountering circumstantial turbulence in life. 

All forms of godly Ascension is a team or heavenly societal effort it is welcoming a renewed luminary upon the world and the hereafter simultaneously. There are many unique creative one-time and otherwise frequent paths of celestial ascension back to God prior to a mortal death blow. Not all are created equal as the caveat is so simply put. We welcome all earnest efforts even if one abandons their efforts in one lifetime and comes back in their next reincarnation where they last left off. The holy of holies is a stickler for details like that to be wholly respected. 

There is a metaphysical near endless universal angelic arts and sciences that dwarf all knowledge-based knowing in your bubble of a physically created universe altogether. Only the perfect absolute Mind of God mysterious and unknowable upon totality as it were dwarfs our collective angelic knowing completely of the infinite heavens. Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo.

Ivan "Atrayo" Pozo-Illas, has devoted 28 plus years of his life to the pursuit of clairaudient-inspired automatic writing channeling the Angelic Heavenly host. Ivan is the author of the spiritual wisdom series "Jewels of Truth" consisting of 3 volumes published to date. He also utilizes a unique channeled angelic divination method called the Multi-Deck Divination System. Numerous examples of his work are available at "Atrayo's Oracle" blog site of 18 years plus online. You're welcome to visit his website "Jewelsoftruth.us" for further information or to contact Atrayo directly.

[harmonyhealinghub]

Exploring the Mystical World of Spirit Companions: A Journey into the Unknown

Shaina Tranquilino

September 9, 2023

Where spiritual beliefs and practices vary greatly, one concept that has gained considerable attention is that of spirit companions. Often seen as ethereal beings or energies from another realm, these companions are said to offer guidance, protection, and even friendship to those who seek their presence. While some may dismiss this idea as mere fantasy or wishful thinking, others have embraced the existence of spirit companions and experienced profound transformations in their lives. In this blog post, we delve into the intriguing realm of spirit companions and explore what they mean to believers.

Understanding Spirit Companionship:

Spirit companionship refers to an individual's connection with a non-physical entity that acts as a guide or companion throughout life's journey. These spirits can take various forms, including animals, angels, ancestors, deities, or even mythical creatures. Believers often form deep bonds with their spirit companions through meditation, rituals, or simply by acknowledging their presence.

The Role of Spirit Companions:

Spirit companions serve different purposes for each individual they accompany. One common belief is that these entities provide guidance and wisdom during times of confusion or decision-making. They are thought to possess knowledge beyond our human understanding and can assist in navigating life's challenges.

Moreover, spirit companions are believed to offer protection against negative energies and entities. Many followers claim that their spirit companions act as guardians who shield them from harm and help maintain positive energy in their surroundings.

Beyond guidance and protection, these mystical beings can also bring comfort and support during times of emotional turmoil. Some individuals find solace in knowing they are never truly alone when facing difficult situations – having a loyal companion from another realm can be incredibly reassuring.

Connecting with Spirit Companions:

Connecting with a spirit companion requires an open mind and a willingness to embrace the unknown. Meditation plays a vital role in establishing and strengthening this connection. By quieting the mind, individuals create a space for communication with their spirit companions, enabling them to receive messages or insights.

Rituals such as lighting candles, offering prayers or offerings, or creating an altar dedicated to the spirit companion can also deepen one's bond with these ethereal beings. These rituals serve as acts of reverence and acknowledgment of their presence in our lives.

The Skeptic's Perspective:

As with any belief system involving the unseen and esoteric, skepticism naturally arises when discussing spirit companions. Some may argue that these experiences are simply products of human imagination or psychological manifestations linked to personal needs for comfort and support. While it is essential to approach spiritual beliefs critically, dismissing the idea of spirit companions outright might ignore the potential for personal growth and fulfillment that many have found through these connections.

Whether you believe in spirit companions or not, exploring this mystical concept offers a unique perspective on spirituality. The notion that there might be entities beyond our physical realm who offer guidance, protection, and companionship opens doors to endless possibilities. For those who have experienced the profound impact of connecting with a spirit companion, they become cherished allies along life's journey – guiding us towards self-discovery, providing comfort during challenging times, and reminding us that we are part of something greater than ourselves.

[leafygreenwitchery]

That one post about the fae you've been looking for

From a long time witch and spirit worker

I'd like to preface this post with the fact that I myself come from the UK with Irish Celtic heritage, however I want to emphasize that any information you've seen on tik Tok claiming that Celtic Religions are closed/the same as Native American Tradition is inaccurate. Celtic religions are not closed. And there are several reasons for this! Celtpol was never closed in antiquity as the ancient Celts would often spread their religious beliefs. The religion unfortunately died out, many of the traditions appropriated by Catholicism. There is no consistent passed through blood ideology present in the religion. Nobody is 100% celtic, not even myself who's family is Irish. The idea of a perfect celtic bloodline is an idea perpetuated by White Supremacists and is incredibly wrong.

In addition to this, it's important to acknowledge that not all faerie lore is Celtic and to close faeries on that grounds ignores Norse myths and non-Celtic mythology across Europe. The fact is, to suggest CeltPol is closed, or the fae are closed, is insulting. Not only does it perpetuate racism, but it holds Fae to a human standard that they cannot hold because they are not human. To put it plainly, the Fae are more likely to dislike everyone, not pick and choose based on a blood quantum.

Overview: what is a faerie

A faerie is a magical creature found across the folklore of many countries, especially in Europe. There are many different beliefs about fairies. Many consider them as minor deities, or even fallen angels. While not all fae are aggressive, many are. There are variations of fae, such as Sidhe which are land spirits and are tied to certain areas. Other fae are not tied to the land. I have done a tremendous amount of research on faerie customs, but as that is UPG I will be saving it for another post.

Fae occupy an "otherworldly" realm that is separated from ours. Time and reality moves differently there. Humans can become trapped in the Fae realm by eating faerie food.

Are the Fae tied to "celtic land"

The Short answer is 'No'.

Firstly you cannot define Celtic land, as aforementioned, the Celts were a wide and diverse group of people and cannot only be tied to the UK and Ireland. We already know the Fae do move! Not only were some of the Irish-Celt Gods moved to Ireland by other groups, but Irish Lore speaks of the Tuatha de Danan, which invaded Ireland so they weren't originally from the land anyway.

Do I believe that the further away you get from "Celtic Land" you're less likely to encounter a Faerie described in Celtic lore and instead a magical creature from that Countries lore? Sure. Some types of the Fair Folk are tied to land, but not all are. Not all Fair Folk are Aos Sì (the Fae in Irish Lore which come from the Belly of the Earth and are tied to landmarks like hills and mounds)

The Fae simply do not have the same beliefs regarding race, ethnicity and region.

Faeries exist in other cultures, not just Celtic

In my opinion to say Fae only interact with those of Celtic Heritage erases folklore from other countries. The fact is there are many different beliefs from different parts of the world so, while I previously tried to define the idea of a Faerie, YOU CANNOT DEFINE THEM AT ALL. The folklore varies from town to town in some cases. Fae are mystical and liminal. If the Fae in question is capable of stepping between the worlds, I think it is wrong to say they cannot step over a border. Not to mention, many Fae were treated like Gods and consequently limiting them to your beliefs is like disrespecting a Deity.

This isn't everything that can be said on the fae but it does address many misconceptions regarding them.

[sakkkurra]

Don’t leave me Pt.2

Pairing: yan!BTS x female reader

A/N : Hi guys how was your week? I hope you are all doing well. I have finally finished second chapter of Don’t leave me so I hope you will enjoy it. And I am reminding that this is pure fiction and it does not display real BTS behaviour or characters. This kind of behaviour is bad and toxic in real life. I do not own the picture.

Preview : " Since birth, you could see creatures from other realms. It was your special gift and you were quite thankful for it. But one fateful meeting with seven fallen angels makes you wish you weren’t born special. After all if it wasn’t for your so called gift, you wouldn’t have been in the clutches of monsters with no way out."

Warnings: yandere themes, language, angsts and obsessive behaviour

-part 1- -part 2- -part3-

"There are several layers of meaning to your words."

As always, Taehyung was right. Words can be such a powerful weapon because you can easily twist them and make them into beautiful lie."I never lie Y/N, never" you remember Taehyung saying these words one cold autumn night. You were wrapped in his strong arms and both of you were looking at night sky that was sparkling with millions of stars. Honestly this night was night when you had fallen in love with him. But now you know that in fact Taehyung always tells truth. But the thing is that he always twists it to his liking. This is one of reasons why are you stuck with them in this stupidly big mansion far away from home. You were out of breath from running and you can’t hold on for too long either."Oh fuck this!" you say to yourself when your legs gave up. You need to rest for a few minutes but you know you can’t afford it. They can catch you any moment and you would rather burn in hell than go back to them." Oh what a bad tongue you have Y/N" you hear from behind you. You don’t need to look behind you to know who it is. You know too well who is the owner of that smooth deep voice."Taehyung..."you say with low voice. How could he find you so fast?You turn around to face him."The one and only, angel" he says with boxy smile on his face. You both stand here looking at each other. Your first instinct is to turn around and run even if you know it’s pointless. But before you can even turn around Taehyung grabs your wrist and pulls you into his chest. It’s funny how one hug that once felt like safest place in the world was now feeling like prison to you." And where was my cute little angel running hmm?" he hums in your ear."Tell me angel, you weren’t leaving us hmm? Because that would make me really, really angry. And you don’t want to make me angry, do you?"

-past-

"You can come to my house, my mom is not home till next evening so you can rest there" I say to them. Honestly I don’t know what I was thinking when I offered them to stay in my house. I mean who invites seven mystic men to their home. The one that can see them I tell myself. But I need to help them because nobody else can especially when one of them is injured. I think his name was Taehyung if I remember correctly. The walk to home was quiet. The only sound was Taehyung's grunts. Once we reached my home I let them in and navigated them inside living room. "You can wait here, I will be right back with some medicine and bandages" I say to them. They all nod and in few minutes I am back. "So do you guys know how to treat him, or?" I ask them. They look confusedly at each other and say no.I walk closer to Taehyung who is sitting on the sofa and say nervously " Well uhm your right sight is hurting, right? So the blouse must be taken off" I finish the sentence with obvious blush on my cheeks. Everybody stays quiet and Taehuyng raises his eyebrows at me. After while he mutters okay and takes off his blouse. My breath is caught in my throat as I see his toned upper part of body. Not gonna lie I would stare at him more if it wasn’t for one big wound on his right side of his body under his rib. I gasp and quickly start treating his injury. The room is filled with heavy silence. I am starting to feel uncomfortable so I try and start the conversation"So, who are you guys? Where are you from? You are not from this world right?" Namjoon stands up from his seat and answers my questions"No we are not from this world. We are from other realm that your people call heaven" my eyes widened in surprise and I stop working."You are from heaven? Like actual heaven? So are you angels? But you don’t have wings!"Then one of them answers" Yeah we are from heaven and yes hell exists too. As for our wings well" he stops and thinks about right words"you can’t see them yet but we do have them. Name's Yoongi by the way." I am speechless but now it finally makes sense why all of them look so ethereally beautiful."But wait, I've seen angel before and I could see her wings. Even if it was only just one time I can remember her wings clearly" I say and suddenly I feel hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Taehyung smile down at me." Well Y/N you see, we are different type of angles. We are special. And maybe one day you will be able to see our wings." I stay quiet and continue to work on his wound. There are so many questions. If they are angels, what are they doing down there on Earth. Why is Taehyung injured and what did he mean by calling themselves special angels. When I am done with Taehyung I am ready to ask them all of my questions but I am interrupted by Namjoon" Anyway, we never really introduced ourselves right? As you already know I am Namjoon and I always keep an eye on my brothers so there won’t be a problem. Thank you for healing Taehyung and for letting us stay here Y/N." I nod and say no problem when another one speaks up" I am Jin the oldest and the most beautiful being that you will ever meet" he says and kisses my hand. I hear his brothers sigh heavily and I giggle. Next comes up man with heart-shaped face"My name is Hoseok but you can call me Hobi. Nice to meet you Y/N!" he says and you could tell he was really cheerful person. "The name is Jimin sweetheart. I am really pleased that we could meet. It looks like it will be fun getting to know you Y/N" he says and winks at me . I blush and look down. Like damn how can someone look that good. Calm down Y/N and stop drooling over them, you look like a total freak I tell myself. Suddenly Jimin is shoved away by Yoongi and I can hear Jimin curse at him. He takes my hand and shakes it"I am Yoongi but you already know that. I am the smartest one so I don’t have time to be bothered by stupid questions. Nice to meet you Y/N I guess" he says and walks away. Well okay, rude? and I am ready to snap back at him when my attention is taken away from him by this massive muscular man that is standing

before me." I am Jungkook, the youngest one. Thanks for helping Tae" Jungkook says and I can’t help it but get lost in his big eyes. They are beautiful but they feel somehow cold."Well I am going to prepare place for sleep guys is there something that you need?" I ask them."Ah there actually would be one thing Y/N" says Jin" where is the nearest church?"

-back to present-

"Let me go Taehyung!" you scream as you try to push him away."What more could you possibly want from me huh? You already took everything you possibly could! At least let me go" you say with tears in your eyes. You were honestly tired. You don’t know why you try to fight them back when it’s obviously hopeless. You must resist them Y/N you tell yourself you must keep fighting them you need do to it for mum, for Zira and for yourself. Easier said than done."Oh angel, look at you. Anger doesn’t suit you. Stop this nonsense and come back to your room. Come back to us"Taehyung says and starts caressing your cheek. You hate him no you hate all of them. But perhaps you hate him the most. Because of him you get yourself trapped inside web of his twisted words with no way back."I don’t want to Taehyng-"He interrupts you"Tae, you always called me Tae,angel"You look at him dumbfounded. Is he really expecting you to call him Tae after all he’s done? It’s like everything is normal to him. Like he didn’t deceive you and made you believe that all of you will be living in one big fairytale when it’s everything but it." I will say it one last time Taehyung, let.me.fucking.go!" you growl at him with angry look on your face. You know that you are pushing his limits but you don’t care anymore. They’ve already done the worst to you. Both of you are staring at each other for a while when suddenly his hands are on your throat and you are pushed against wall."Tsk tsk tsk angel, this is not a way you should have behave. Why are you so irked hm?" he says derisively." Y-you know why, you l-lair"you whisper because you are out of breath. His cold eyes narrow at you and he smirks cruelly."Oh Y/N you know I can’t lie especially to you. All I said was true. I promised you fairytale like life and here you are. You have breathtaking mansion to live in ,not like that shabby home. You wear the finest robes and have every thing that you could possibly ask for. And what’s more important you have all of us. So tell me angel, do you think that asking for your soul is too much? After all, it was you who said that we can have it with your heart" he says with smile on his face. And like always he was right. You have said it. But in totally different meaning. And Taehyung knows it too. But it doesn’t matter because you said that fateful words to them. And it was not easy for him to make you say it. You were really different no, you were special like them. But he made it at the end. After all he was Taehyung the deciver.

[nukyster-blog]

Changing course Chapter 32) Sky is over

.-.-.

Of course, Ivar could not foresee how the Gods had intertwined the fates of all residences living in de Haar, or how his arrival inside the walls of the great Castle caused a ripple effect. In Midgard, as in all other realms, every single soul had its purpose, had a place. A mission, a reason. And so, in de Haar, everyone played his and her part, following their own laws, paths and religion. 

Yet some events were inevitable- bound to happen, for all humans were just pawns in the hands of their masters and Gods. 

Piglet’s prediction came true the next Sunday morning, right before the service. 

The fair maiden, Mabelia, indeed did not manage to last long inside the walls of de Haar. 

The burden of being a woman, of being a wife to a monster, had simply been too much for her to carry on her shoulders. As Christians believe in the devil, they also believe in angels. She’d been one—an angel, for a few blinks of an eye, as she stared up to the heavens  one last time, spread her arms, and wished for her Lord to take her into paradise. 

Mabelia, wife of the future ruler of de Haar, stepped off the balcony, a leap of one hundred and twenty-four steps during that particular Sunday morning. Dressed in all white, she gracefully accepted her descent and embraced her end. Rumor had it that her blood soaked lips turned into a smile the moment her eyes glazed with death. 

Neither Ivar nor Piglet had seen the body. By the time they were unleashed from their shed, Mabelia had been taken away, all that remained of her was a bloody trail. 

Sunday service carried on, without the priest uttering a word about Mabelia’s choice to take her own life. Suicide was an act against God, an abomination, and one of the worst crimes. 

Yet in a castle as big as de Haar, whispers rapidly spread into rumors and before the end of the service, Piglet quietly informed Ivar about the passing of the fair-maiden.

“Ivar, she took her own life”, Piglet whispered, keeping her hands clasped and eyes closed as she kept up the act of praying, “I’m sorry.” 

Ivar hadn’t been paying much attention to the commotion around him, for he’d found another loose nail and had been trying to pry it loose. 

As Piglet’s words echoed in his ears, he could feel his mouth opening and shutting like a fish on dry land. Still as a statue, he was temporarily incapable of controlling his speech nor his body. It was as if he shut down. Paralysed from head to toe, his mind tried to block Piglet’s message.

“I’m sorry”, Piglet repeated again and unclasped her hands to take his, “I’m sorry.” 

Ivar didn’t even register her soft touch, still ridged as a board. 

He did not speak and sat quietly below the table inside the kitchen after service, unable to touch his food. His brain desperately scrambled his thoughts and the mix of emotions, trying to make sense of it all. 

Disbelief abruptly made way for realisation, as his next task wasn’t to scrub the staircase of the main entrance. The Giant ordered Ivar to clean the blood that had been shed due to a fall of a hundred and twenty-four steps down. 

Against the grey stones the blood was stark, the undeniable evidence of the fair-maiden’s passing. 

‘Mabelia,’ Ivar reminded himself firmly, ‘she had a name, Mabelia’.

Mechanically, Ivar scrubbed the splattered pattern. The cloth soaking blood until the fabric remained pink. It was hers, the last bit of her. His mind took in the evidence and recreated a picture of her downfall. With flailing limbs, eyes closed, people in panic moving away. 

And then blood, specks and spatters. Ivar watched his shaking hands trying to wring out the blood. Scrubbing away the last memory of her and her kindness. 

As he finished his task, he couldn’t take his eyes off his hands; bloody and raw. 

The grief came in waves, little ones at first, as he desperately tried to maintain a straight face as the Giant shackled him back up for the night. 

But when Piglet retreated inside their shed with food, the waves had grown so strong they swept him away. The overall feeling of drowning swept him down into a deep dark abyss. 

She was gone, robbed herself of her own life and robbed him of the last crumb of happiness. For that he hated her, deeply and spitefully. Yet the hostility he felt toward her crime was just a speck of emotion. 

A small sob worked its way out of his throat as he tried to remain strong and untouchable. Oh, what a joke, what an absolute joke. His self-control had been dissolving the moment he laid eyes on her spilled blood. 

This was how it must feel to have your heart truly shattered by a woman. And the worst of it was, he couldn’t blame her for it. She’d done him no harm, she’d simply ended her own misery. 

And no-one aside from him seemed to care about her fate. The world outside the shed simply carried on. Sure, the rumors would whisper through the stone hallways, glances would be cast toward Ludolf, and all fishwives would share their opinion. But aside from that, Mabelia’s name would fade away, her image would be that of an unstable, daft woman. 

Life inside the walls of de Haar would continue, the rulers would rule and the slaves would be treated as creatures. 

.-.-.

The next morning Ivar was immediately submitted to the Giant’s retributions. The brute didn’t even bother to unshackle him. A rain of angry fists and heavy boots casted down upon Ivar. Behind Piglet’s panicked screams, was just the hammering of Ivar’s heart attempting to escape his chest. Nothing else ran through his mind, he simply focused on his racing heartbeat, trying to hide his face and block as much as he could. 

His body jolted with a new vigor as it was shoved and kicked like a ragdoll on a very short leash. There was the mixture of sounds; Piglet’s desperate pleads, the Giant’s breathless pants, and the sound Ivar’s voice made as his body was beaten into a bloody mess. 

In between the kicks and swinging fists he passed out, and if it weren’t for Piglet throwing herself into the line of fury he might have failed to ever wake up. The slave maiden took a proper punch to the face and leaped over, tumbling over Ivar’s still frame. Her wails in Dietsch in the name of God, Jesus and everything holy was eventually enough for the Giant to calm down and shove Piglet away from Ivar. 

With his boot, the Giant rolled the lifeless body of his slave over and watched for a moment; clearing his throat when he noticed how Ivar’s chest slowly rose and fell. He grabbed Piglet by the upper arm and dragged her out of the shed. The slave maiden struggled, tried to pause the Giant’s steps, and craned her head over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of life coming from her only companion. She wasn’t granted a moment to check on Ivar, as she was shoved over the doorway and the Giant locked the door. 

Silence filled the room, occasionally interrupted by the sounds of the animals and Ivar’s chokes on his own blood. 

He didn’t recall how long the beating had gone on for, only the final kick in the face that knocked the light out of him. He did not need to open his eyes to see a blooming purple patch of bruises from on his side. 

The cawing told him Utstott was close; the sounds echoed from all corners. If he had the strength, he’d open his eyes to glare at the bird. If that feathered rat had any kind of mystical powers, he should have used them during the Giant’s attack.

Ivar laid soiled  in his own fluids; blood and saliva. When sunlight dawned inside the shed at noon he could still barely move. Every muscle was seized up, struggling to recover and repair the damage done. 

The Giant’s boots must have knocked a few screws loose, because as Ivar lay there still and lifeless, his ears picked up the sounds of a small enchanting laugh syncing with the raven’s sounds. 

Unable to move with any grace, Ivar tilted his head. The movement was jerky and he quickly placed his head back down as shock casted his strength away. 

The fair-maiden stood across from his box, draped in her last white dress. The fabric was torn and wore the blood of her downfall. Specks of blood decorated her pale face, and there was far too much of the crimson fluid to imply she’d survived the fall. 

Yet her eyes, bright as a spring morning, were very much alive. 

Utstott had claimed his position on her shoulders, scrawny wings matching the color of her pretty dress. The bird produced soft sounds and shared a soft glance with the fair-maiden. 

“I’m sorry,” Ivar whispered with a thick throat, “I should have protected you,” swallowing was hard. But not as hard as bearing the guilt of letting her down.

The fair-maiden glanced from Utstott to Ivar, her eyes bearing no hatred or anger. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, until she finally dropped her gaze and clasped her hands together. 

As the fair-maiden positioned herself down onto her knees, Utstott took off and landed right in front of Ivar’s face.

The bird opened his beak, but instead of a caw that sound that came was that of her voice. A lovely, dulcet voice, Ivar immediately recognised as the voice of Mabelia. 

“Vent litt,” hold on, her voice spoke through Utstott in his mother’s tongue, “vent litt, dyrebar”. 

Breathless, Ivar stared at the bird, unsure if he could trust his own eyes and ears. Or touch.

Icy cold hands made contact with his chin and the fair-maiden was right above him. A gentle flush of pink had risen in her cheeks, it made her look both vulnerable and innocent. Death had surrounded her with calmness; her past pain only evident by the specks of blood.

Ivar held his breath as she leaned in and tentatively pressed her cold soft lips on his. His head had gone hazy; his body became stagnant at the sensation of her lips against his. And, just as he thought he was going to lose himself in this precious moment, she retreated. Her body moved graciously to the back of Ivar’s box. A look of hope never left her face as she retreated into the shadows and disappeared. Vanished into the dark, like his father. 

But, before exiting this cruel world and passing on into the next, both came to say their last goodbye. He’d earned that respect, their respect, and in realising that, the pain of knowing he’d never see them again was more overwhelming then the physical pain of his body. 

.-.-.

The abuse the next morning was evidently less harsh and less cruel than the day before. The Giant must have known he’d nearly broken his favorite toy. Instead of putting Ivar through another beating, he simply emptied a bucket over the slave’s head. The brute walked away unbothered to unchain him, all the man wanted was to see if his property was still alive. 

“Do not touch me!” Ivar hissed through his teeth when Piglet hesitantly approached him. Even  last night, he could not bear her pampering and refused any of her help or attempts to start a conversation. 

An untapped rage boiled up from his stomach to the rest of his body. Pain should be flaring up inside, yet he felt numb. Numb and hot, literally angry enough to combust. 

“Don’t”, he snarled again, as spit and water ran down his jaw. With twitching fingers he reached around until he found a rock and threw it in Piglet’s direction; seeing the pity gleam in her eyes was insufferable. 

As the slave maiden fled the crime scene, Ivar dropped his head back into the hay. He was a mess. A bloody, grotesque mess of crippled limbs, bruises and pain.

And rage, most of all, he was in rage. Just like poison ivy, it sprouted, propagated and multiplied every time he was forced to shed blood. Maybe Piglet’s beliefs and his weren’t so different after all, because he felt that thing inside of him lurking. The one he called Wrath and she named Djinn. All his life had been a battle against himself. Surely he’d thought it had just been physical, but now he took notice at how he’d always been trying to fight his anger. 

Laying there, bloody, beaten and damaged. Between animal feces, hay, and his own saliva, Ivar made a pact with himself. He would no longer restrain the rage inside if it flared up. Yet, it needed to be unleashed under control. What his hands could do to a human canvas was magnificent, a diamond in the rough. 

He’d lost a lot of strength during his imprisonment and if he wanted to destroy his oppressors he needed to regain that strength to conquer. He owed her that. The least he could do was destroy the monsters that caused her to take her own life. Not just Ludolf, but all of them. Everyone that had been looking away, unbothered to help his fair-maiden. 

“If you are something truly supernatural, you better have my back next time!” Ivar scolded Utstott who remained hidden inside the shadows. The soft caws that echoed all throughout the shed almost seemed apologetic.  

“Ugly chicken”, Ivar cursed at the raven. Although pain shot through his body, Ivar ignored it and started doing push-ups. He was done being everyone’s obedient lap dog, he’d show them how much of a barking mad mongrel he could be. 

.-.-.

A/N: I guess this brings us back to the question, what’s real and what isn’t? As Ragnar’s ‘goodbye’ the fair-maiden kissing him could be a dream, an illusion made up inside Ivar’s own head to deal with pain and grief. Mabelia's death and Ivar’s reaction towards it was an interesting thing to write. I didn’t like ‘killing her off’ because she was one of the few good things in Ivar’s life. I also felt that there could have been ‘more’ between them if things would have been different. He was attracted to her beauty and adoration towards him. 

Making Ivar clear her ‘death bed’ was kinda the cherry on top to break some tears for our poor prince. Oh tragedy…

Xoxoxo Nukyster 

The kickass beta: @sarahh-jane The tagged ones: @youbloodymadgenius​ @xbellaxcarolinax @saldelys ​ @shannygoatgruff​ @pieces-by-me​ @apenas-mais-uma-pessoa​ @readsalot73​ @lauraan182 @conaionaru @sarahh-jane @peachyboneless @adhdnightmare If you’d liked to be tagged, please let me know:)

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #241: DARK ANGEL!

March, 1984

The Magical Menace of MORGAN LE FEY!

Hey, uh, Morgan. The pink dimension looks like its bad for your skin? You might want to see a dermatologist?

Also, stop squeezing She-Hulk! She’s not a novelty toy and her eyes don’t pop out in any way you’d want.

Oh! The Avengers book has gone from The Avengers to the Mighty Avengers again. Wonder why.

Anyway.

Last time on As the Avengers Turn: The Avengers get a call from San Francisco that Jessica Drew Spider-Woman is in a coma. Also, that Jessica Drew Spider-Woman is a person they know. They’ve forgotten. The whole world has forgotten because Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman had a wizard mind wipe the world of her existence after she went back in time and shoved Morgan Le Fey out of a tower.

Dammit, what is it with spiders and mindwipes??

The ghost of Morgan is keeping Jessica’s mind separate from her body, hoping to get her revenge by killing Jess and then stealing her body to revive herself.

The Avengers call in Dr Strange and World’s Best Biophysicist Hank Pym to help deal with Coma Jess (but not that one) and some of Jess’ friends like Tigra and the Shroud are also hanging around.

This time on Avengers of Our Lives:

Running and shouting in the hospital? Jessica Drew may be at stake but common courtesy is still a thing!

This random assortment of everyone who wasn’t already in the hospital room rushes towards the hospital room but finds that there’s some manner of glowing barrier blocking the entrance.

Doctors and nurses bang on the glow fruitlessly and Wasp joins them in that by blasting it to no effect.

Wasp: “Hmmm, my Wasp’s sting can blow a good-sized hole in any ordinary wall! This is a bother!”

You’ve kinda scaled back from bragging you could blow up a house, Jan.

Tigra goes to scratch the glowing barrier and just falls right through it.

Cue pratfall noise.

After some frightening expressions from She-Hulk, Wasp and She-Hulk figure hey maybe we can just go right through too!

And they doooo!

Shroud feels some resistance from the barrier but when he thinks about how worried he is about Jessica Drew, the barrier lets him through.

Meanwhile, the assorted medical staff still can’t get in hah

Inside, the heroes learn that the barrier was put up by Dr. Strange to keep out medical staff. Those trained professionals will just get in the way.

Scarlet Wanda the Witch also recaps for the people who weren’t in the room what happened last time with Spider-Woman’s ghost trying to reunite with her body but bouncing off and becoming a photo negative. And that if they can’t jam her spirit back into her meat, Jessica will be left a mindless vegetable foreverrr.

Also, Jessica’s vital signs are fading fast and Dr. Strange is needing to put a lot of attention to keeping Jessica’s astral form together.

It will be up to someone else to investigate!

Dr. Strange: “Whatever force is behind this, it must be incredibly powerful!”

Morgan, helpfully showing her entire hand: “Power?! Hah! You cannot begin to comprehend the extent of my  power!”

It will be up to nobody to investigate because Morgan Le Fey is going to just broadcast her involvement, turning Dr. Strange’s barrier into a wide-screen tv.

Morgan Le Fey: “Hear me, mortals -- I am Morgan Le Fey, and I was all but supreme in the arts of sorcery, centuries before you were born! I shall not brook any interference in my quest for revenge upon Jessica Drew... she who called herself Spider-Woman!”

Morgan lays out all her grievances viz being pushed out a window by Jessica and her evil schemes ie stealing Jessica’s body but She-Hulk is She-Hulk and less than impressed.

She-Hulk: “You think we’d let you just waltz in and take over somebody else’s body?!”

Morgan Le Fey: “If you are wise, yes!”

She-Hulk: “No way, sister! And as for striking us down... I’d like to see you try!”

Morgan Le Fey: “Hah-ha-ha-hah-ha! Very well! But first -- let us have a bit of... fun!”

And Morgan summons a bunch of evil beasties and tendrils and pink beads strung together through the portal at the heroes.

Dammit She-Hulk, you antagonized the magic lady!

Dr. Strange blocks some of it but he’s still mostly tied up with keeping Jessica’s soul alive sooooo someone else get on this.

So someone else gets on it. The Avengers and other superheroes leap to fight these random spell effects as they do best. Mostly by punching. And there’s some blasting.

Shroud finds that the darkness he controls seems to disorient the creatures Morgan summoned. Handy!

But they’re just holding the line there and if they keep playing defensive, Jessica Drew is going to die since Morgan is blocking her soul from her body. So they need to take the battle to Morgan.

Thankfully Janet “Magic is a little out of the Avengers’ line” van Dyne has a plan.

The mystical window Morgan le Fey was doing magic through suddenly clouds up with Shroud’s darkness. She blows away the darkness with demon winds, as ya do, but when the winds clear away the darkness, bam, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Shroud, and Starfox!

Morgan turned Dr. Strange’s barrier into a window so he turned her window into a door. Fair’s fair.

And Wanda instantly manipulates the probability of Morgan falling on her ass.

Good.

Starfox flies forward to finish Morgan off but this is page 10 not page 20mumble so Morgan blasts the hapless space idiot.

Morgan Le Fey: “I don’t care how powerful you mortals think you are! I am Morgan Le Fey! No one, not even Merlin himself, could contain me forever!”

Getting punched off a tower and disintegrating was a minor inconvenience!

Meanwhile, everyone who didn’t go through the barrier window door is still in the hospital room fighting off Morgan’s spells because yes she can fight several heroes on the astral plane while also maintaining a bunch of spells in another dimension.

Even Dr. Strange has to admit that she’s very powerful.

We do get a nice follow-up on Tigra’s time on the Avengers though as Captain Marvel’s determination in the face of spooky magic inspires Tigra.

Tigra: Incredible! This stuff has her nearly as spooked as it has me, but she’s working real hard not to show it! Somehow, that makes it easier to fight this stuff! But I still don’t like it!

Wasp assists World Famous Biophysicist Hank Pym as he monitors Jessica Drew’s vitals. No time for post-divorce awkwardness, Jessica Drew is at stake! And at risk of dying soon due to the stress of all of this.

Meanwhile, back in New York at Avengers Mansion, Captain America comes home from his solo adventures. Apparently he hasn’t heard about Vision the Great and Powerful hologram head because he’s confused.

Vision explains and then Hawkeye comes in and explains in smaller words and Cap is like Oh I See.

And then a computer in the communications center explodes. As one doesn’t.

Vision: “I really must apologize for that sudden overload in the monitor systems. It’s nothing to get alarmed about, though!  I’ve rerouted that screen’s functions through a back-up system! No need to worry... I have everything taken care of! Everything!”

Dubious Cap: “Yes... I’m sure you have Vision.”

But Hawkeye pulls Cap away from his skeptical stare to take him to meet Mockingbird.

Vision: That power surge was similar to the one I detected previously -- but this one was even more powerful! The monitor overloaded before I could get a fix on it! But I msut find the source of this mysterious energy! I must! Anything capable of generating such power could upset all of my plans! And that must not be!

Hmm, I’m not sure what that power surge thing is. Could be Secret Wars lurking around the horizon... the time period is right. But more to the point, Vision, ‘that could upset all my plans’ isn’t something superheroes tend to say/think! That’s kinda ominous!

Back over at the A plot, Morgan Le Fey turns into a giant made out of random bits of terrain, as one does when one is Morgan Le Fey.

Morgan Le Fey: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN MY DOMAIN! AS YOU WERE ALL FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO BODILY ENTER THE ASTRAL DIMENSION, I HAVE CREATED MYSELF A BODY WHICH YOU CAN BATTLE... A BODY FORMED FROM THE VERY STUFF OF THIS REALM!”

I don’t appreciate her evil schemes but I admire her energy. She’s villaining good.

Interesting that the cover still gave her ‘made out of random crap’ texture but used her normal colors instead of yellow, orange, and purple. I feel like at that point, just make her look like a normal giant Morgan Le Fey and have it be more representative of what happens than what actually happens.

Anyway.

Forcing Morgan to gigamax means less of her attention is focused on the hospital room which means all her spells there are getting weaker. Unfortunately including the barrier window door which starts shrinking. And unfortunately not including the barrier around Jessica Drew who is now in danger of going into cardiac arrest due to acute soul deficiency.

Dr. Strange decides that now, and not any moment before now, is the time to act. He uses the Eye of Agamotto to make contact with “the captive psyche of the motionless dark angel...”

So there we go. That’s why the issue is titled DARK ANGEL. This one off description of photo-negative Jessica Drew soul.

Personally, I think “The Magical Menace of Morgan Le Fey!” would have made a better title but Roger Stern and/or Mark Gruenwald probably know what they’re doing.

Dr. Strange makes contact with Jessica and empowers her with the Eye of Agamotto.

Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman: “Y-yes, I do feel stronger somehow! But I’m still so... so lost!”

Dr. Strange: “Never fear, Jessica! The light will show you the way home! Follow the light!”

Huuuuuuuuuh. Usually an iffy thing to tell someone in a coma but. I mean. He is a doctor.

But Jessica finds the.... astral winds? Some kind of winds. Which I think represent the barrier Morgan put up to keep Jessia out of her body. Anyway, there are winds and they are too mighty for Jess to make headway against.

AND THEN, MAGNUS.

He roused from Morgan’s sneak attack a bit earlier and now he’s here to narrate his entire backstory.

Because, of course.

Jessica also notes that he looks so pale but he’s the same shade of white as he’s been so I dunno.

Centuries ago, Magnus was but a student sorcerer. Merlin rejected his apprentice application so he became the student and lover of Morgan Le Fey. Because Morgan’s evil. You think she cares about student-teacher ethics?

Magnus was young and in love and convinced himself that all of Morgan’s rants about how much she hated King Arthur was totally not a problem.

And then she found the Darkhold and even Magnus realized ‘oh this isn’t great, is it?’

So he stole the Darkhold, hid it in a tower that those of evil intent could not enter, and then went on the run.

Morgan eventually found him and killed him while he was astral projecting, Magnus having to devise a spell pretty much on the spot to let him continue on as a not-Force ghost.

With great effort, Magnus could visit Earth for brief periods by possessing people. On some of those visits, he met and assisted and fell in love with Jessica.

Magnus: “Jessica, so much that has befallen you has been because of me! Morgan used you to strike at me, even as she used me to strike at you. Yes, and to my shame, I set you ‘gainst her! Because of me, you have existed these past days in a twilight between death and the life you love so much! I have seen people, good people, risking their lives to save you... I could do no less!”

So Magnus uses the last bit of his magic, and his cohesion as a not-Force ghost, to still the psychic winds and let her rejoin her body.

Not bad, Magnus.

You’re still a bit of a creep but good way to go out.

Dark Angel Spider-Woman melds back into Jessica Drew, her vitals stabilize, and she comes out of her coma.

Hooray, Jessica Drew has been undeaded!

In the astral plane, Morgan senses that the Great Jessica Drew Body Caper has been thwarted and she’s miffed.

Morgan Le Fey: “DEMONS OF CHTHON!! MY HOLD ON SPIDER-WOMAN HAS BEEN BROKEN! I CAN SENSE IT! BUT... THIS CANNOT BE!”

And while she’s distracted yelling at nobody in particular, Team Take the Fight to Morgan strikes her good.

Scarlet Witch makes it very probably that a bunch of pink explosions will explode all over her, She-Hulk and Starfox do her some punches, and the Shroud shrouds her face with shrouding darkness.

She-Hulk: “Oh, that jaw is just too tempting a target! Say ‘good night,’ Morgie! You’re gonna be a hit in the landfill business!”

You’re doing great, Jen.

Morgan Le Fey: “You... insolent... WHELP! You cannot defeat Morgan by mere physical might! I shall yet have my vengeance! If Spider-Woman is denied me I shall take your body!”

Ghost Morgan jumps out of giant rock giant Morgan to try to body-jack She-Hulk but Dr. Strange has something to say to that.

He says ‘nah.’

Or more specifically “Flame of Faltine swirl and sunder and turn ‘round this foul exchange! Let yon sorceress stay rock-bound... by the power of Doctor Strange!”

Which. To be honest. Is much cooler.

Makes sense though. He was tied up keeping Jess’ soul together for most of the issue. Not having to do that anymore meant he could slip in and punk Morgan.

She’s less than pleased.

Morgan Le Fey, from inside a giant disembodied rock version of her own head: “You’ll live to rue this day, Doctor Strange! From this day forward I am your sworn enemy!”

To be fair, you two would have wound up at odds eventually anyway if you insisted on being magical and evil so I don’t know how much remorse he’s feeling about thwarting you now. Probably none.

Anyway. Dr. Strange hurries everyone through the barrier window door portal before he runs out of effort to keep it open.

Back in Jessica  Drew’s hospital room, Hank Pym announces the cost of getting uncancelled like she was.

Hank Pym: “The ordeal you went through caused some radical changes in your body chemistry. I’m afraid that your life as Spider-Woman is over... No more sticking to walls, no more venom blasts! From now on, you’re just a normal woman!”

Okay. So, her book got cancelled and she was killed off and written out of memory. Back in June, 1983. But now in March, 1984, that death and so on is being retconned. Jessica gets to be alive again!

So why does she lose her powers?

Well. She failed the sales test. And she was originally created to squat a trademark. And Marvel only puts so much support behind their trademark squatters. If all that matters is that someone is squatting the trademark rather than the character itself, it made more sense to Marvel to cycle through characters rather than supporting something that is losing them money.

It happened to Mar-Vell (death April, 1982) to give us Monica Rambeau instead (August, 1982). And now its happening to Jessica Drew. Her time as Spider-Woman is up because Marvel is just going to try another take on the concept. Julia Carpenter, coming soon.

Of course, you can’t keep a good Jessica down, either. Kind of like when Reed Richards makes any definite statement, Hank Pym’s assertion that Jessica has been rendered powerless is going to be proven not entirely true.

Either way, Jessica is too thrilled to be alive to fuss about losing her powers. She’s going to continue private detecting even if its harder without superpowers!

Hm. Jessica Jones being a rated M for Mature expy of Jessica Drew becomes more and more obvious.

Anyway.

The Spider-Woman may be gone, but for Jessica Drew a bright new life beckons!

Yay!

Follow @essential-avengers​ for Julia Carpenter? Yes, eventually. And maybe sooner than you’d think. Unless you look up dates. Don’t look up dates. Preserve the mystery. Or don’t. I can’t stop you. You’re too strong. Also, like and follow if you like.

[divinaes-bookofsecrets]

can i get a spirit guide reading too? ): ive been dying to find my own..♎

Hi 👋 hello there pleased to meet you ♎

×JaxDessa×IS YOUR SPIRIT GUIDE CURRENTLY🐠🌏🐚

She is female inter-terrestrial Female-Sea Creature who visits middle Earth and thats about as close as she gets to you personal space other than being able to e a essence that communicates or manipulates your current or future circumstances.

As an etheric being, Mermaid is “out of time” even as magic. She can teach you to walk through different worlds safely. There are spaces and places where all time swirls together, opening infinite possibilities.

If Mermaid Spirit had a mantra, it would be “go with the flow.” Give yourself to the ebb and flow of Mermaid’s ties. This provides you with adaptability akin to how water takes on the shape of its container.

Lightworkers, such as myself, 🌐🐚🐠 believe that Mermaids may have come originally from Atlantis as shapeshifters. Afterward, they moved into the Etheric realm; this is the place wherein we can connect with them and learn their wisdom. Mermaid Medicine supports environmental health and the kingdom of the sea. If you are doing workings for the Earth, they are excellent helpmates.

Like the creature of myths, Mermaid Totems are drawn to water. The ocean, in particular, has healing and energizing qualities to it. The Mermaid Mage often works exclusively with the Water Element; and Jaxdessa is no different she happens to be an elite member of the aquatic Water Mystics in her colony in the ethereal realm of existence....

This Mer-Woman has been with you since your birth and will likely be with you until the END of time; but first let's dive fins deep into her bio and see what she's in your life for?

🦋🌏🦋Being female, the symbolism and meaning of the Mermaid ties to the Sacred Feminine, specifically Goddesses like Venus who rules love, and the Sea Goddesses like Calypso. This is not a woman who can be tamed. The fierce individuality among Mermaids is well known – so much so that they may resist settling down in any one spot. Here Mermaid Spirit appears linked heavily to uniqueness and non-conformity.

Are you looking for a way to express yourself? Trying to find clarity in love matters? Mermaid as a Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal can help! Mermaid teaches to find balance between the heart and mind! Delve deeply in Mermaid symbolism and meaning to find out how this animal spirit guide can aid, inspire, and balance you!

Mermaid Symbolism & Meaning

The myths of Mermaids (and mermen) are enchanting. The rich voice of the Mermaid calls out to us with symbolism and meaning that clarifies the role this Fantasy Spirit Guide plays in our lives. Many stories of the Mermaid tell of enticing beauty, raw sensuality, and humans who succumb to their haunting songs; in this, we see where Mermaid becomes an emblem of balancing our heart and head. We need to think clearly even in matters of love and lust. Additionally, there are times in our lives where its ok to dance to a different, magical tune. Individuality and non-conformity are definitely traits of the Mermaid.

Mermaid Omens: Mermaids seem to be fairly lucky in that, if in a generous mind, they might grant a wish. Having said that, sailors consider them a foreboding sign that the proverbial ship may never reach land again.

Etymology: Mermaid comes from the 14th century term mermayde, meaning Maid of the Sea. The Old English word was similar – merwif, or Water Witch.

Being female, the symbolism and meaning of the Mermaid ties to the Sacred Feminine, specifically Goddesses like Venus who rules love, and the Sea Goddesses like Calypso. This is not a woman who can be tamed. The fierce individuality among Mermaids is well known – so much so that they may resist settling down in any one spot. Here Mermaid Spirit appears linked heavily to uniqueness and non-conformity.

Reach out to Mermaid as a Power Animal any time you work with the element of water in ritual, meditations or magic. There are other goals for which Mermaid can help. When you need inspiration, particularly in song, she can release your self-consciousness, so you really sing from your heart. Regarding sexuality, she removes inhibitions that hold you back from true pleasure.

Mermaid represents transition and transmutation. When you face unique changes in your life, she can help steady the waters around you.

Finally, call to Mermaid when you struggle with your emotions or when your intuition seems to have dried up. Mermaid medicine heals broken hearts and discouragement, then goes on supporting your intuitive self so you can avoid the chaos.

Mermaid as a Celtic Animal Symbol

Celtic Tradition has a long-standing relationship with magical water creatures. Sprites and nymphs often lived nearby sacred falls and wells. The Mermaid, however, lives in the sea. In this culture, the symbolism and meaning of Mermaid is that of the feminine element of the Universe. It is powerful and mysterious. The image of the double-tailed Mermaid adorns many churches represents the ultimate Celtic goddess, Sheela-Na-Gig.

Native American Mermaid Symbolic Meanings

One story from the Mi’kmaq tribe tells of a bird who discovers a pond with five lovely women therein. He noted that they didn’t really look totally human, having silvery scaled skin and hair of seaweed. They adorned themselves with gifts of the sea, and the bottom half of their body was that of a fish.

The Passamaquoddy tales recount the story of how two girls became Mermaids (HeNwas). They went swimming in an area prohibited by their parents. They came to a spot where they were surrounded in slime. Their legs became snakes, their hair black and wearing silver bands on their arms and neck.

Sekani legend talks of the marriage between a human and a Mermaid. By the first winter, the Mermaid yearned for her ocean home. She begged for freedom. It wasn’t until the second winter, however, that the man complied so she could hunt for him. Each day she returned dutifully with food. They became happy and had seven children. After the last child, winter returned, and the man sadly broke a hole in the ice so she could return. When she began swimming, she realized her children could not follow her. She tried to work a spell, placing water on their lips and telling them to follow her. Sadly they drown and were never seen again.

Mermaid Dreams

Mermaids in dreams almost always represent femininity with all its lovely attributes. These dreams often reveal clues to your feminine side. This can be a happy omen unless you fear the emotions and insights Mermaid brings.

A Mermaid swimming in water may represent a girth of emotions that threaten to overwhelm. You feel as if you are going under and giving in to the pressures around. Find your life vest and get some help and support.

Far Eastern Mermaid Symbolic Meanings

There are numerous stories of Mermaids in China. Literature depicts her as similar to western Mermaids with the ability to cry pearls, shapeshift, foretell the future and craft magical items.

One story tells of a Mermaid who asked to stay with a human family for many days so she could weave and sell her cloth. In thanks for the human’s hospitality, she cried a container full of pearls and gave it to the family.

Mermaid Symbolic Meanings Key

Adaptability

Awareness

Discretion

Divination

Emotions

Innocence

Non-conformity

Psychic Aptitude

Shapeshifting

Uniqueness

Artists frequently depict Mermaids with a fish bone comb; this illustration came about due to sailors’ beliefs. If you had fish bones on board a ship, one could know what type of weather was coming through divination and take control of a storm to calm the winds. Another tool of the Mermaid is a mirror. This object has long been used for magic as a “looking glass” much like a crystal ball. Mirrors represent the moon and the intuitive self. Wrap these tools into a medicine bag, and you have future-telling abilities, far sight, sensitivity, and psychic aptitude.

WHAT DO MERMAIDS LOOK LIKE ?🧜‍♀️ 🧜‍♀️

Traditional Mermaids have the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a fish. Images of Mermaids appear as early as ancient Babylon. Sailors considered images of Mermaids as a good luck charm, which is why figureheads were carved with Her image.

Being tied to the Water Element, Mermaid may take on the meaning of a source of life, cleansing, and renewal. Water can also be a fierce foe, with crashing waves that threaten to take us under into the unknown. The ancients found themselves inexplicably attracted to the Mermaid, while also being frightened of their powers.

These “Angels of the Sea” appear most frequently at dawn and dusk. These are “in between” times when the veil between worlds grows thin. Some say they only show themselves to people who have pure hearts, giving he Mermaid the symbolism of discretion and awareness.

WHAT DOES JAXDESSA LOOK LIKE?

Here....She is .. 🧜‍♀️ 7:47 PM(look up the numerology or 747 and 757 , 759)

Those are your times you'll be likely to sense her close to you...

When Jaxdessa swims with you, she brings you into the realm of Water, which also speaks of our emotions. You will be challenged to dig deep inside yourself to understand your fears and scars fully. Only by so doing can you truly heal. Throughout this journey, Jaxdessa offers love and support.The Mermaid animal spirit may also bear a message about reconnecting with your inner child and nature. The innocence and joy of the child dances with the beauty of the world. There is a richness in this relationship building process, and Mermaid is your guide...

When working with your Mermaid guide, it is essential that you remain true to yourself: She will not condone facades. Keep it real and be ready to swim.

Those born with Mermaid imprinted on their soul feel at one with nature. They see the wonders of the world with an appreciative eye, but also know that there is much more going on behind the proverbial curtain. The Mermaid constantly interacts and exchanges various feelings with others including joy, peace, and liveliness. The Mermaid’s language of love is an affirmation.

Greed doesn’t really measure in the mind of the Mermaid. They do not seek to possess others, but rather walk with them in mutual goals and dreams. The Mermaid’s inner child is strong and very active.

More...SpiritGuide bio

The Mermaid person has intense psychic abilities. You see spirits, fairies, Devas, Angels, and other Fantasy creatures easily. Some of the gifts you may have include clairvoyance and hypnotic allure

The Mermaid is an amazing empath, but this can also be her undoing. She feels everything. A crowded room can become totally overwhelming. Thankfully with time and practice, she can learn to detach from others feelings and consider them much as one might watch a movie. This protects the Mermaid from psychic overload and burnout. ((YOU MORE THAN LIKELY CSN RELATE TO THIS AND MOST OF THE MERMAID QUALITIES BECAUSE YOU ARE HER SHE IS YOU;; DO YOU SEE THESE SIMILARITIES YET?))

💘 💜 💛 💚 🧡 💘

Regarding relationships JaxDessa people may not settle down, but they certainly enjoy a good lover. There is raw, unbridled sexuality here that begs for attention. Because they are very private people, however, some of these desires go unfulfilled.

Spirit Guides 3 Messages for me today (current date Jan 11th 2021)

First message: #1

ANGEL NUMBER 833

Number 833 is a blend of the vibrations and energies of number 8 and number 3, with number 3 appearing twice, amplifying its influences of 3, and relating the the Master Number 33. Number 8 relates to self-confidence and personal authority, discernment, higher wisdom, achievement and successes, practicality, consideration, giving and receiving, and serving humanity. Number 8 is also the number of karma; the Universal Spiritual Law of Cause and Effect. Number 3 is the number of affability, enthusiasm, assistance and encouragement, communication and self-expression, growth, expansion and the principles of increase, manifesting, broad-minded thinking, talents and skills, and the energies of the Ascended Masters. Master Number 33 (the Master Teacher) relates to the attributes of the ‘healer’, compassion, blessings, the teacher of teachers, inspiration, honesty, discipline, bravery and courage.

Angel Number 833 is a powerful message and sign that you are being fully supported, surrounded and supported by your Spirit Guides ...It indicates that you are successfully manifesting prosperity and abundance in your life by the positive choices you have made and are currently making. Put your personal attributes and talents to good use and be open to receiving your well-earned rewards and blessings. Trust that all is going to Divine plan.  

Angel Number 833 brings a powerful message of love and support, encouragement and guidance, and your SpiritGuide(s) ask that you maintain a positive attitude and outlook to continue manifesting positive abundance into your life. Remember that what you put out to the Universe comes back to you, so ensure that you use your personal power and talents in a positive manner, always.

Angel Number 833 tells you to take ownership of your own life and discover your dreams. Use your personal creativity in constructive and productive ways, and put your skills and talents to work to achieve your heart’s desires. You get what you expect so make sure you radiate positive energies and expect the highest and best in return. Trust that you will find success in your chosen endeavours.

  

Number 833 relates to number 5 (8+3+3=14, 1+4=5) and Angel Number 5.

Now look up # 5 see what it is ? Thats your next mission .🧜‍♀️.

Second Message : WHAT I NEED TO HEAR RIGHT THIS MOMENT ...

If you were to bite into a piece of cake and think it's awful because of certain flavors or a lack of some ingredient, it would not be pleasant in the moment. Even so, the experience could be beneficial to you later on. Suppose you wanted to bake a special cake for someone. The experience you had with the unappetizing cake might inspire you to do things differently. Every bad experience has an upside, Dear Jaxdessas darling, even if it doesn't seem so in the moment. Remember that today if something doesn't seem ideal.

Third Message: 🌟 ⭐ 💫 🌠 🌃 ✨ 🌟 ♎ January 11 - January 17

A project that is in the final stage of development could get a really big boost this week, dear Jaxdessas darling. This may come out of left field, and the help you need may come from someone you least expected and perhaps you don't even like, but don't cut off your nose to spite your face. This is essential assistance, and you should be grateful for it. Success is possible with a work- or money-related venture that didn't seem to be going very well all that long ago. This is due to your persistence and your optimistic attitude, so let this be a lesson for future endeavors. Some venture that you have put a lot of time and energy into may wind up hitting a brick wall very soon. You may want to proceed anyway, and you may want to figure out how many ways there are to get over the wall that stands between you and success. But before you invest that time, think about whether this will be worth the effort in the end. There could be something else coming along that could take its place, and that could be easier and more rewarding in the end.

&&&

A creak you hear in the dark could be the settling of an old house, or it could be a burglar creeping on the stairs. Loud voices you hear coming in through the windows could be your neighbors arguing, or it could be those same neighbors sharing good news. The lamp going out on your nightstand could be a sign that electricity has shut down, or it could mean you need a new bulb. There is often more than one way to interpret something, and usually there's nothing to worry about. Remember that today, Taurus, if you are tempted to follow worrisome thoughts. It's more likely there's nothing to worry about.

FINAL THOUGHTS?.. THE WISE ADVICE FROM YOUR MYSTIC MERMAID 🧜‍♀️

Step 1) Define Your Core Values

Know what is most important to you by determining your values for your professional and personal life.

These are the principles that are the foundation for your priorities, choices, actions, and behaviors.

You can start by looking at this list of values.

Step 2: Practice the habits.

Pick one or two from this list of positive character traits above to practice for several weeks.

Write down the actions you want to take or the behaviors you define that reflect this trait, and implement them in your daily life and interactions.

Wear a rubber band on your wrist or create other reminders to help you practice these good qualities.

Step 3: Find people with good character.

Surround yourself with people who reflect the character traits you want to embrace.

They will inspire and motivate you to build these traits in yourself.

Try to avoid people who have a weak character and make bad decisions.

Step 5: Take some risks.

Start taking small actions toward a goal or value that involves some level of risk.

When you face the possibility of failure and challenge yourself toward success, you become mentally and emotionally stronger and more committed to your principles.

Step 6: Stretch yourself.

Create high standards and big goals for yourself.

Expect the best of yourself and constantly work toward that, even though you will have setbacks and occasional failures.

Every stretch builds your confidence and knowledge that your positive character traits are getting stronger.

Step 7: Commit to self-improvement.

Realize that building your character is a life-long endeavor.

It is something that is practiced both in the minutiae and the defining moments of your life.

There will be times you step up to the character traits you embrace and other times you falter.

Thank You for taking the time to meet your Spirit Guide today have a nice day 😊 ✨ 💛 ☺ 💗

[galadrieljones]

There’s a TWD article out by someone who’s previewed some of 10C that says Daryl and Leah were out in the woods for five years. (So most of the timeskip after the bridge blew.)

It’s not a biblical seven years, but it’s close. Though it’s probably been seven years since they first met, what with Leah’s actress apparently back for season 11 🤔

Oh wow. What. 👀 For anyone who’s confused, this is a reference to my Daryl/Jacob Biblical symbolism post, and I have...more to say now! SHOCK.

Wait, it’s speculated that they were together for FIVE YEARS?! I’m super curious about this. See, I don’t look at Leah as a usurper, so much as just like a major symbolic opportunity. I know a lot of people are quick to dismiss everything this show does that bothers them as “bad writing,” but I find too much of that to be a cope. I can see how having to deal with seasons 7-8 over a period of years could wear a person down, but the writing for TWD is actually...often...good! It’s weird. It takes chances. Yes, it disappoints us at times, but that’s the rub. When it’s on, it’s fucking on. Seasons 7-8 were NOT on. In general, I noticed a really obvious, periodic decline in quality post-Coda and 5b tbh, and I’m not just saying that because of Beth. (Tho I am starting to believe more and more that Beth was not initially supposed to die, that her death was pressured based on some sort of perceived, utterly cracked backlash per the age difference. The writers then had to grapple for a while, and it was the beginning of the end for Gimple, who never got his shit back on track ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Anyway, I know I’m far from the first person to point out that Angela Kang wrote both “Still” and “Coda.” She wrote the first and final moments of Daryl and Beth, as we know it. Her vision for The Walking Dead also feels much more genre-forward to me, ie: post-Gimple, TWD has become much more of a genre piece, and I kind of think that’s important here when talking about Biblical allegory as a genre in and of itself. The Walking Dead begins and sustains for a long time as a sort of 00s era fabulism, a la shows like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos, which take place in a familiar world and focus on realistic relationships and situations, but the settings and scenes contain a light fabulism, or just this spare, Lynchian layer of magic, ghosts, mysticism, dream states. But in seasons 9/10, with Kang at the wheel, elements of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and even the American Western have really been ratcheted up. There are kings and queens and princes, tigers and horses and knights in shining armor and cowboys. There’s even a movie theatre. Plus the Whisperers, who are initially presented as supernatural, lead by Sycorax and Caliban creatures, and now the hard scif-fi nature of what’s going on with Jade, the helicopters, and finally the insane cliffhanger with Eugene, Yumiko, Ezekiel, and Princess. 

I’m just saying: I think we can only expect more of this. Like, rather than the very Frank-Darabont-esque “gestures” to genre in favor of realism, we can expect big, sweeping oceans of genre, in which “realism” becomes whatever the creators want it to be. When you start steering a show or a story this way, you’re opening up all sorts of possibilities, a la, anyone who’s watched Supernatural or the X-Files knows that where science fiction and fantasy are concerned, NOBODY IS EVER REALLY DEAD, NOT REALLY. We know that the show is priming us for the return of Rick. We know that Connie is not dead. No matter what, the notion of resurrection in this show is not only possible at this point, it’s inevitable. We know, too, that @twdmusicboxmystery​ and other TD sleuths have established in aces that even after five seasons, the writers have still never definitively closed the door to opportunity for Beth’s return, not in-show, not offset. In some ways, they even seem to invite it! I mean?

So now, with genre on display, and resurrection on the table, when I think about them bringing in LEAH, magically, like, I KNOW it’s on purpose. The writers could have named her anything. But they named her...Leah. Leah?? They also mysteriously removed one of the wings from Daryl’s vest during the 6yr time jump, something that has still never been overtly explained (which is on purpose, it’s a symbol, but of what?). In reading Daryl as a Jacob character, I see his lost wing as a symbol that he has fallen from his ascent to heaven, re: Jacob’s Ladder:

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. - Genesis 28:12

Jacob’s Ladder is a unique symbol in Judaism and Christianity because it not only communicates the traditional spiritual story of ascent (mainly: to heaven, or a to a heaven place, Elysium, spirit realm, etc), but also DESCENT. Angels are going up, but they’re also falling down. We cannot ascend in life without periods of descent, or backsliding, etc. Nobody is perfect. Season 10 (and honestly, seasons 5-10 but that’s another post) shows a period of obvious “descent” for Daryl. He is a fallen angel, but at the end of season 10, Judith (with her Beth braid and her Sheriff’s hat and her many resounding Beth themes), gives Daryl a new wing. Season 10 then ends on an upswing for Daryl. He defeats Beta, atones with Negan, and saves his people. He is heading up again. 

It’s worth remembering, too, that Daryl’s relationship with Leah is not new, or present. It is past-tense. It took place during a major descent for him. It is not Leah who lifts Daryl up out of this descent. In a purposeful choice by the writers, it is Judith--a clear symbol of his past, of Rick, and of Beth--who returns his wing to him. Judith is also an important symbol of the future. She survived against all odds, the firstborn of the apocalypse, a shepherd of her father’s people. 

SO, YEAH. It IS interesting. I am SUPER interested. In the wake of seasons 9/10, crazy genre-heavy seasons that introduce resurrection as a distinct, inevitable theme, Daryl’s weird, overt angel imagery, Jacob-parallels, and now: LEAH. Why would Kang toss in some random LI for Daryl, knowing full well what the reaction will be, only to then NAME HER LEAH? Jacob worked for seven years to marry Rachel, but he was deceived into marrying Leah instead. The notable caveat to this story is that, ofc, Jacob also gets to marry Rachel! but not until after his wedding period with Leah, and he has to work SEVEN MORE YEARS, too. Jacob gets kicked down a lot! His name literally means “heeled.” But in the end, he is the wrestler of angels, contender with God, father of Joseph, etc. etc. He ascends.

So I honestly have no idea what any of this means! But it makes me type a lot. And I DO know it means something, because it is true that, in The Walking Dead, everything means something, especially now, with Angela Kang, Bethyl writer and genre/symbol lover in charge, and with every bit of genre and every symbol ratcheted up to like, 11, and LEAH. No matter what, we can’t take it for granted!!

[danddymaro]

Erron Black X Reader |Pt.2

Previous: Easy Pray 

Fixed

Wordcount :  3412

Pt. 2 |   A familiar sense

Reverted to a smaller form, (f/n) found herself left at an abandoned field, something she knew within the furthest depths of her being wasn't just a strange conjured up scenario from her imagination. 

‘No, this isn’t a dream,’ She started as she settled into the strange realm with ease.

 'I've been here before,' She told herself, knowing it to be true.

"Somehow...For some odd reason...It's familiar, " She said breathily, her childish features scrunching into a grim expression as she eyed the lifeless patch of vegetation she currently sat on.

‘Even their brittleness pressed against my skin feels surprisingly familiar.’ She observed, carefully eyeing the dulled ground.

Her hand then reached down to touch the brittle, dried plants, only to crush them into smaller pieces, completely destroying what remained of their lives with a soft ‘crunch’.

With regret, she retracted her hand back, eyeing her palm where small bits of dead green and murky, warm-colored flakes still clung.

It was then that another sound followed, indicating that someone else was there in the same field she was, and curiously, the girl lifted her eyes up, her sight falling upon a strange, otherworldly being as it sauntered its way towards her.

“Who-” (f/n) started, unable to say more before she was struck dumb with surprise, eventually left speechless.

Her bright (e/c) colored orbs found themselves clung to the sight of glowing ones, the vibrancy within them being both magical and mystical, enough so that (f/n) nearly gawked while being thoroughly awestruck.

Meanwhile, shivers crawled up her body, thoroughly raking her, coursing over her body like tiny shockwaves,

‘So…Beautiful,’ She mused with wide-open eyes, almost unable to gaze away from the chartreuse beauties that mystically glowed before her. 

'Everything about her is beautiful,' she added, taking in the full, grand sight of the glorious, towering woman.

A crystal ring floating behind her captured the light of the glowing sun, wonderfully reflecting its rays into the sight of a shining halo, the radiance only serving to make her look even more graceful. 

‘An angel?’ The (h/c) haired youth questioned with wonderment, ‘Or...A Goddess?’ she contemplated, observing how the beautiful woman graciously breathed life into the word with every steady breath she released.

 Laying on the dried blossoms (f/n) curled up more, her already small body becoming even tinier as she tried to blend in with the deceased blossoms, the girl feeling a strange swirl of emotions battle within her in attempts to take over.

Polar ends of the spectrum were set off, fear and suffrage striking her first before a familiar invading warmth also let itself be known.

'With every step she takes, colors rise.' (f/n) remarked, trailing her gaze down to the Titan's feet where the decayed blooms arose from their ghastly sleep, dancing up towards the sun with joyous life.

'I feel the same happiness and life within me... The same surge of joy...but...but at the same time...' she trailed off, 

 "Why..." (f/n) muttered as a heavy clump gathered within her constricting throat, her heart aching miserably with pain throughout the moment.

Sinking her shoulders, she panted heavily as streams of sorrow trailed their way down her childish features,

 'I feel so small...

 I feel so alone...

 so lost...'

 "w-why?" She asked again, stuttering as a particularly powerful pang jabbed at her wounded heart. 

Yet again, she found familiarity in the simultaneous sentiments,

‘This unimaginable pain… it’s had a home within me in the past.’ she determined with knowing awareness.

 Lips the same color of peach-leaved bellflowers split into a soft, tender grin as yellow-green glowing eyes focused on nothing more than the weeping girl,

“My child,” The warm, familiar voice cooed, the little stars within the being’s lovely hues performing an enticing dance that further enchanted the withering child, even while she shed tears.

"Come to me," she encouraged (f/n).

 "Come to mother...." the celestial being beckoned with open arms widespread, ready to catch the girl, " Come to me and let all of your worries melt within my hold," She tenderly coaxed her.

“Mother…” (f/n) repeated softly, her voice holding a tremble to it as she uttered the words. “My mother…” She then added with a heavy sob moving her entire body,

‘I recall uttering the address to the same voice,’ She thought to herself, as little by little invading thoughts of her past came forth. ‘ I remember being held.’ She went on, as shakenly, her hand reached out, yearning to touch the figure.

‘I remember reaching out to you…

 I recall every tear that seeped into your shoulder...

 I remember needing you, wanting to find you once more...’

“You’re my mother,” (f/n) continued, hiccupping relentlessly as the idea slowly settled into her.

Her little legs quivered as they stood, and like a newly born calf, she hobbled her way to her mother, miserably falling to her feet before she could be taken a hold of, irritably grunting as she crashed with the ground.

"Where…” She started with a murmur, her voice small and shaken at first before it rose in volume, “ Where have you been!" She then wailed loudly, staring up at the ethereal woman with frustration, her small hands fisting the regrown greenery.

"why has it taken you so long!" she added in demand, kneeling before her with a bowing head,“...So long that I was convinced you left me, " she added with admittance.

It was then that her mother came down, her two hands reaching out to touch either side of the distraught girl's face, holding her wet cheeks within large, pale hands, simultaneously forcing the child's head to stare up her with the action,

“Yet again you weep tears,” The woman said with a touch of amusement, her thumbs sweetly swiping beneath the child’s glossy eyes, collecting the heavy globs and doing away with them with the caring motion.

 "And just as the last time, I'll wipe them away," She continued, keeping the same kindly expression displayed.

 "Over and over..."She breathed, the words almost being inaudible with how softly they were spoken. “Again and again,” She hummed, a glazed look cast over her eyes as she droned on.

 “I thought I was left alone,” (f/n) then sniffled, justifying her visible show of suffrage.

 ‘How could I not weep? How...When I thought you'd left me?’ She thought to herself dejectedly. 'I thought you were never coming back...' she added with little woeful huffs.

 "Alone?" the elder repeated after seemly snapping out of her trance state, soon shaking her head in disapproval at the mention of the word.

 "You are never alone," she said with guaranteed certainty.

“Because all in which I am…” the transcendent being started, “ All which is within me and my heart has been passed on to you,” she revealed while letting her right hand fall down to the little girl’s chest, her slim pointer finger pressed over (f/n)’s warm, steady beating heart.

"And I would never attempt to abandon my loveliest blossom...Not my most precious treasure," She added with assurance, adding a certain-filled nod into the mix.

“Always remember,” she murmured, tears welling up within her own glowing eyes, “And never forget that Mother will always be there.” She breathed as she smiled gently. 

"Right within your chest." She further disclosed.

 "As sure as the sun burns hot and the nights grow dark, I will always be linked to you," She added.

 "Do you understand my dear? Do you understand that my love has no bounds?" She questioned her little girl.

 Nodding hastily, (f/n) swallowed down her thick spit, “Always, right?” (f/n) hoarsely whispered back, wanting to hear over and over how loved she was, and much more, be assured there existed a being which yearned for her with the same intensity.

"Of course.

Mother will always hold you, clearing your tears with nothing but an abundant love,” She said while scooping the girl in her arms before wrapping them tightly around her.

“I will always follow you, trailing through the road of blossoms in order to reach you,” She added lovingly while carrying the sniffling girl. "And nothing will ever come between us." She assured her, a tart tone mixed within the saccharine love because deep within the depths of the heavenly creature's being was a hidden ugliness kept sealed away from the rest of the universe.

"Simply, Forget-me-not," The goddess added with a small, bemused giggle, waving her hand over her daughter's palm, mystically sprouting one of the little yellow-faced flowers with the action.

Smiling, (f/n) held the flower in one hand before finding her home within her parent's embrace.

As she closed her eyes, she leaned her head onto her mother’s shoulder, her cheek snuggled over locks of green, the scent of the earth after a shower of rain surrounding her as a comforting aroma she knew all too well. 

 'This...This is also familiar. ' She thought to herself with happiness.

 "I know this scent," (f/n) murmured, " And I know this warmth too..."She added, her arms tightening around her guardian's neck.

 "Please don't let me go," she begged,

 '  Please don't abandon me...

 Please...Mother...I beg You...

 Please don't let her hurt me again,'

 With a little huff in response, Cetrion smiled gently, her eyes rising up to the falling sun as she held her sleeping child,

“Everything I do,

It’s all for your sake, my love.

It’s all to continue holding you my precious child.” she hummed, her hand falling to the back of her calmed child’s head, weaving her fingers through her (h/c) locks, an overbearing sweetness dripping from her lips as she cooed to her little girl.

 "You'll understand... One day, you will understand the righteous path, and accept our constructed balance," She stated, " And then...Only then will we be forever at each other's side. 

Together, guiding light upon the realms." She swore, awaiting with anticipation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

 (e/c) colored eyes then snapped open, the large orbs wide and frightened as they dashed left and right in search. 

(f/n) awoke with a short sniffle, her face wet with salted tears as she came to from her strange dream, desperate to find something she suddenly had no recollection of.

‘No…’ She thought helplessly, wide-eyed and seeking.

“Not again,” she muttered with familiarity in regards to the settled emotions residing within her. " Again, I have that same dream, and in the end, I feel just as lonely.” She added as she felt the warmth within her chest evaporate.

“- And just as empty." She added with a short grumble as her stiff shoulders slumped.

Bits and snippets of the memory haunted her before she could no longer recall the vivid visions, something that frustrated her greatly, causing her to release a low, drawn-out breath.

“Damn it…” She said shaking her head, her entire form soon deflating.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw vibrant colors approach, her heart bouncing happily at the sudden sight.

'Could it be?' She thought with budding faith before A single butterfly then landed on her nose, crawling along the bridge’s length with its thin, little legs, lightly tickling her in the process.

“It's you again,” she said with a small ray of joy.

 “ Don’t tell me...Did you follow me all this way?” She asked, smiling gently, watching as the strange creature moved its wings, fluttering them once in display.

“I take that as a yes,” She breathed.

‘Silly thing,’ She mused, ‘ Did you actually miss me?’ She wondered with the same touch of amusement, her eyes crossed down and centered towards the mystical, little being.

‘I must be a long way from home now,’ she thought to herself as her eyes then found the man who had her captive, 'That much I know,' She summed as she glared right at him.

He currently paid no mind to her, instead eyeing his smaller weapon with a careful eye, his thumb focused on a pesky little smudge that stubbornly stayed on it.

They’d spent two days in silence, traveling together into whatever destination he had in mind, not a lick of a word passed on between them during all that time, something she'd intended to keep until curiosity got the best of her, 

 'I just have to know,' She told herself, taking in a deep, low breath to collect herself as her eyes found their way back to the soil beneath her.

 'I just want to know...Why? Why has this happened?'

 “ You're going to sell me...Right?” she said softly, finally finding her voice as all the while her (e/c) colored eyes remained glared down onto the ground, finding it to be the only way she could even begin to address the man.

She knew it was likely, yet she dared to ask.

‘He's not letting me go,’ she thought to herself while disheartened. ‘ He's captured me and we're heading off to who knows where,’ she continued, knowing well that it could only mean someone had sent him to retrieve her.

'Otherwise, He wouldn't have kept me alive,' She thought to herself, well aware that if he'd wanted to, he could have easily killed her.

'He wouldn't have been so careful with me either,' She added.

The way he so easily captured her, with each action done effortlessly with perfection made her wonder, 

 “ Who knows how many others you've done this to,” She muttered, still glaring harshly at the dark sand beneath her feet, eyeing the grains with hazing eyes, her vision then starting to blur.

'Who knows how many others have suffered at your hand...

Who knows how many others aren't as fortunate as I am now...' She contemplated, well aware of how much worse the situation could be for her.

‘I can still escape,’ She thought with hope, willing to take the small chance, ‘ I can still run...and that’s an opportunity I can only assume others don’t get.’ she went on, remembering how his bullet zipped past her, warning her of what he was truly capable of.

He seemed apathetic, as though it was all clockwork for him, meaning it was something he'd had years to practice, and she couldn't fathom as to how anyone would ever take pride in such a trade.

She couldn't understand how he could sleep, or for that matter, find any sort of tranquility within the night.

' treating someone like some trade-in for riches...' She started, ' That would be cold-hearted...Thoroughly rotten.'

" How many others?" She said with a small mutter, her (e/c) colored eyes staring right at him, hardening as she demanded to know, 

 ‘Who is this man?’ She wondered. 

 "Plenty, but none have the bounty you have." He admitted; It being only partially true.

In his profession, he'd had plenty of work, never looking far for an opportunity to make some profit. However, it was all done through mercenary work. sometimes it was messy, sometimes it was a smooth sailing gig.

'I don't tend to bring in a live catch,' He mused, watching her face shift at his response.

At his ease in the admittance, her eyes went wide, and her jaw slacked. A visual dimness cast over her eyes as she stared at him with the same horrified expression, her face slowly shifting to dismay.

Catching her expression change he snickered,

"What?” he asked her, “ Don't think you're all that special," he stated, "You're not my first," he added in a suggestive tone, smoothly sliding in an adult innuendo that she didn't even pay mind to.

"You're a monster, " she airily stated, her chest rising heavily as she sucked in a large, labored breath.

Her body then began to shake with rage as she swallowed down hard, "You say it like it doesn't matter… like...like their lives...like my life-!" she cried before trailing off, soon shutting her eyes with a shudder.

 '-Like my life doesn't really matter,' She thought with pain.

 She could feel her stomach bubble, the blood coursing through her veins growing scathing hot,

"You're a disgusting monster! " She cried out, wiggling in her restraints, her sudden burst of resistance making him chuckle.

Until then she'd been silent, showing a tamed nature he was beginning to grow bored of,

'Interesting,' He thought to himself, eyeing the way her eyes ignited, pulled in by the wildfire spreading out from their (e/c) depths.

" I've been called much...much worse," he told her, daring to get closer to the seething woman, hunkered down to her level with a growing grin,

"Got anything else darlin'?" he challenged her, making her face glow red at the sight of his obnoxious act of entertainment.

The feeling felt strange, festering within her in a wild frenzy, nearly blinding her.

'Again...Again I feel familiarity...' She thought while reflecting on the present feeling which overwhelmed her.

'I feel resentment... hate...

weakness...'

 " I despise you!" She said crying,

'And it always comes back to this pain,' She hiccupped, wanting to clutch at her chest, but being unable to as the rope binding her arms behind her stopped her.

" You're a monster! A disgusting monster! " She cried out again, her breath huffing with each syllable, hating the way she seemed feeble. 

She fought against the tight binding, her muscles straining with the effort as the rope harshly dented her flesh.

" Awe… such a shame," He started, " And here I've grown so fond of you," he said with the same touch of tease in his voice. 

He then reached out to touch her cheek but stopped as she sharply turned away from him.

 ' I've said this before,

In anger...In rage...

I try to be happy. I try to focus on Joy and the light. But somehow, I always draw back to these dark feelings... to these viciously negative emotions that have already found a home within me in the past. '

 Her heart ached as she cried out the words, pain being accepted into her body with familiarity as the words settled in.

"Hmm..." He hummed, still moving to touch her, his left hand's thumb whipping away the falling trails of heartache right from under her right eye,

 "You sure cry a lot," He said lowly, having noticed she did so in her sleep as well. 

"- Don't," she said lowly, looking away, wanting to sink beneath the dark grains of sand instead,

 'Don't touch me...

 Don't look at me...'

 "Just…don't," She breathed.

 'I've wanted to be loved and caressed; Cared for and loved,’ she thought sadly.‘ But now as the feeling grazes me, I feel nothing but pain.'

‘And it’s not entirely you’re doing,’ She concluded as for just a moment, she looked back up at the man, her eyes locked onto his deep, coffee-colored ones. 

Beneath the shadow that was cast by the brim of his hat, they seemed dimmed and black, easily compared to pools of bitter, dark chocolate,

'They're black...just like his heart,' she thought with affliction.

 Her own eyes, both glimmering (e/c) drops unwittingly drew him in, causing his hold on her to slack before it fell, the touch of his large, warm hand gone as it traveled back to his own side.

  'Have I really just noticed?' he started, ‘...She’s got the whole night sky in her eyes,’ he observed with surprise.

 He’d spent countless nights eyeing the indigo sky, both in Outworld and Earth realm alike, the pastime being something he always found comfort in, counting the twinkling, little specks with a placid smile always present.

 ‘All of them are in there,’ He mused, leering closer to count the little, dancing twinkles, truly finding them mesmerizing.

 ‘What…what in the world is he doing?’ She thought with a heavily racing heart, suddenly growing anxious, drawing her head back the further he neared her.

 'Why does he keep coming closer!?' She added as she cast the (e/c) colored beauties down, ultimately releasing him from their powerful enchantment.

Still staring wide-eyed at her, Erron swallowed down his spit, abruptly standing from his position with a little huff, casting his eyes far off from her, his focus placed back on his earlier activity instead.

Stiffly, he glared down at his gun, eyebrows furrowed down as he tried to once again clean the annoying little smudge with a small cloth instead.

Meanwhile, (f/n) continued to look down, A strange, little feeling twisting her stomach as an aftermath of their former proximity. All the while she was stuck, wondering the same question as before, 

  'Just who is this man?' 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Next : The Big Bad Wolf

[atrayo]

Channeled Angelic Wisdom of the Jewels of Truth Series and Favorite Quotes of the Month of September

Hello All,

I always have the bad habit of waiting until the tail end of the month to make a channeled angelic entry here to Atrayo's Oracle. Since I'm also a PC gamer I'm also tied into enjoying the retail release of Amazon's Game Studio of New World come this Sept. 28th. I'll be gaming with my online gamer community of 17 years now that I've been a member of online. They're called "The Older Gamers" one has to be over the age of 25 yrs old to become a member. I'll be the guild leader for the US/EU branch on an East Coast North American server. (shameless gamer plug)

Tonight's trio of Jewels of Truth statements is channeled angelic wisdom, metaphysics, and mysticism. On the topics of a Multi-Dimensional Soul where I channel a historical figure named Josephus the old. Next, there is To Be the I Am which dispels one of the pet peeves I hear often in New Age circles. Where innocently someone remarks we're born into this reality just to learn and grow like this realm is an elementary school for souls. I roll my eyes when I hear this due to my cultivated relationship as an angelic channeler via claircognizance. (claircognizance is the psychic ability to channel knowledge and wisdom beyond one's lifetime.)

Lastly, the final topic is a zinger on two counts! It's titled the Younger Dominions of God. Where not unlike the metaphysical author of Neal Donald Walsch of "Conversations with God" a famous book series. I also channel this statement from God him/her/itself, which I've done on past occasions. This topic blew my mind when it flashed before my mind's eye as an inspiration. Basically, our Creation and the afterlife of heaven and hell are the godly early forms of the Supreme God of all gods Absolute. Meaning these are the terrible two's, tween years, and teenage raging hormone years on a human equalivent scale of God itself.

The Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer of Macro Supreme Realities dimensionally speaking. These realms of ours of the endless Infinite hells, Creation (ie our Meta-Universe), and the Majestic Heavens are the stratification of the evolutionary growth of God in a meta sense if compared to maturation. These realms astral or otherwise are the goldilocks years of God(dess) akin to a nursery for all souls, angelic kind, including elder angels.  As the lesser deities of countless faiths or dead religions as mythologies to us in our modernity.

Before I go too deep on the topic allow me to just write down the channeling from the Creator him/her/itself.

Also, a shout out to Tessa Luna Lluvia my original online mentor as an expert psychic-medium. She's kindly listed my books of the Jewels of Truth Series on her website. (bottom 8th row of the book listings)

As always no matter if these topics seem too fringe for your imaginations and spiritual belief systems. Allow them to just kindly expand your horizons of the immense grandeur of God Everlasting. Amen.

Multi-Dimensional Souls

3081) Here are the many fields of splendor possible within the grasp of the human condition by far. Nay beyond humanity itself can this spectrum of countless possibilities co-exist to exemplify all lifeforms in unison as Children of a Living God(dess). What I "Josephus the Old" will explain is that the godly soul of all spiritual beings when incarnated experiences a buffer of contrasts when alive on Earth.

For example, when a person commits wrongdoing as grotesque evils. That reincarnated soul as an individual entity has siphoned poorly from the evils metaphysically from the godless Hells, hereto unknown to humanity. Again another primitive example is a godly pious person of righteousness does good in the world without seeking high praises of whatnots. That individual spiritual entity of God has channeled the God Blessed Heavens robustly and directly upon this Earth. Whether this happens unwittingly or not.

The final example is whether a person is neutral and allows good or evil to flourish without personal involvement regardless of what occurs. Such a soul enters into a form of Limbo upon the world swayed easily without guile or reservation as a direct cause and effect. Akin to a sub-set of Karma upon the earth reality sphere of governing elements metaphysically.

The trio of the fates as conundrums of paradoxical fits and starts are prevailing winds of the afterlife set upon all mortal kind be it human or otherwise as creatures. With direct inputs and outputs upon the world and the meta-universes be they cosmic or of a metaphysical unholy/neutral/holy matrix of experiences as existential realities go.

To this end do not allow the oversimplification of these crude examples to paint only a black, gray, and white picture as a canvas of these meta-realities. There is a relativistic spectrum of contrasts akin to manifold kaleidoscopes of endless pigments of possibilities. As configurations of good, neutrality, and evil encompass universally as archetypes of behavior in all lesser Universes combined!

We have exhausted our range or scope of expressions without first mentioning as all souls are in the One Supreme Loving Image and Likeness of God. Denotes all Souls as a united continuum are multifaceted dimensionally as metaphysical entities before being people with physical bodies with an aura upon your current age or eon of your Earth.

As God(dess) is everything as Omni-Present denotes your souls in God are also everywhere God is forever. No matter you as the lesser children of God realize this in your global religions or not. It makes your magicks work as expressions of divinity constantly. Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo. (Channeled Source Entity of Josephus the Old.)

To Be the I Am:

3083) Many in New Age spiritual circles inquire from fellow advanced participants and elders what is Life? Most respond with confidence that it is a school for young souls to evolve and grow further. This canned response is only partially true, however, it is incomplete in its scope of a response generically.

Life and Death as contrasting phenomena are far richer than such a one-dimensional interpretation of our spiritual unified reality with God(dess), and the Heavenly Host Infinitely meets at large always and forever. There are actually seven dimensions of spiritual being, if not more overall as archetypes of a universal basis of our united divinity with God(dess).

For Instance, the aforementioned scope of Life as a school is true but as one dimension so as to learn and grow as eternal souls having a human experience. Next in no particular order of grace of any of these roles is to Love like God(dess) and the Angels. Unconditionally in moderation so as to avoid fanaticism or zealotry as obsessive traits of passion and/or of true love.

Next comes to be of Service in moderation not necessarily as a selfless saint or angel that lives to extremes. However, to cultivate humanity or divinity on Earth with mutual compassion and empathy for those in need or of want. To serve in a volunteer capacity versus being employed in commercial industries denotes a deeper form of caring.

To be just as civilized and law-abiding or hospitable in the world. Followed closely with having a noble personality of character as benevolent in the human-divine holy nature like God and the Angels in the endless Heavens.

Next is to create or destroy like God in the universe. If destroy is too strong a negative connotation then let it be to uproot, erase, or recycle like God at the human micro-scale of being alive. As God(dess) is the Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer of macro realities en masse by Infinite scales and over the corridor of eternities.

The last two dimensional roles go hand in hand as fellowship or socialization with positive impacts of compassionate norms be it caring for one another as God has cared for each of us. Lastly to worship Inclusively like God(dess) as an unceasing with positive moderation with mutual respect and adoration to positive foreign beliefs and other cultural traditions of God in our shared world. Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo.

Younger Dominions of God:

3080) To the one that reads these simple words come away with a wider understanding of what "I am that I am" is as the Constant Creator, God of all Totalities United! What "I am" is not simple but complex beyond human total comprehension. So in childish terms of "I am" is utilized all around for all levels of basic comprehension as my living beautiful souls.

What you call as Creation as a meta-construct of reality as the Universe(s), Galaxies, Solar Systems, etc... This is merely one of my countless younger expressions of my Ultimate Majestic godly nature, fully seeped upon material physicality and so much greater yet still.

What humanity denotes as the afterlife of Hell as the underworld. The neutral reality of metaphysical limbo or purgatory as either a realm of heightened enlightenment or for the uninitiated as numbing detachment as apathy. With the stupendous exalted Heavens are all grade school versions of my adolescent corpus of my total Supreme Creation as the Absolute Self.

The Infinite and timeless Hells, Limbos, Creations, and Heavens are each stratum of my youthful forms of expressions. As the Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer of cosmic and ethereal realms of pure totalities of "I am" essence and personified substances. For To Be the I am that I am as the God of all gods plural in a Supreme Fashion has other greater dominions of realism. Each by far beyond the rudimentary tenure of my youth as the Hells, Limbos, Creation(s), and the Heavens can contain forever as my meta corpus.

For example, every dominion where good, neutrality, and evil are located is a moot point having never existed prior. There is no such power struggle of contrasts of differences. A Uni-polar reality versus a multi-polar existence of Principles that tranquility reigns constantly. Only in the realms of my godly youth does contrast stand out in stark terms of the illusion of a good versus evil approach as an eternal useless struggle.

In my youth like environs of ethereal and otherwise physical existence goes. That my younger created lesser children such as humanity and other permutations of my infinity of expressions. Truly mirror my existential struggles of archaic yesterdays as eternities of long ago. I have matured far greater and this creates, sustains, and destroys for another set of challenges and opportunities elsewhere in my Meta-Verse of cosmic and ethereal Superiority as the Apex God of all gods. Amen. ---Ivan Pozo-Illas / Atrayo. (Channeled Source as God(dess)

You can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in. ---Junot Diaz.

Nature is not a place to visit, It is home. ---Gary Snyder.

Grace is the ability to redefine the boundaries of possibility. ---Manning Marable.

One of life's most fulfilling moments occurs in the split-second when the familiar is suddenly transformed into the dazzling aura of the profoundly new. ---Edward B. Lindaman.

What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are. ---C.S. Lewis.

Ivan "Atrayo" Pozo-Illas, has devoted 26 years of his life to the pursuit of clairaudient Inspired automatic writing channeling the Angelic host. Ivan is the author of the spiritual wisdom series of "Jewels of Truth" consisting of 3 volumes published to date. He also channels conceptual designs that are multi-faceted for the next society to come that are solutions based as a form of dharmic service. Numerous examples of his work are available at "Atrayo's Oracle" blog site of 16 years plus online. You're welcome to visit his website "Jewelsoftruth.us" for further information or to contact Atrayo directly.

[fauxpromises]

Analysispost: The relationship between Kuja & Luciferian mythos

Hello to my followers! I’ve been mulling over this idea for a while and thought it might be of interest to my followers who follow me because of my work in progress.

As is evident in many Final Fantasy titles, various religious/folklore mythologies form the basis for storylines, characters, themes, locations, and other details. You have VII which draws from Jewish mysticism and Norse mythology, as does XIII for the latter, and elements of Buddhist thought in regards to pain/suffering and the nature of existence across multiple titles such as X and IX.

So, being that I’ve been writing Kuja for a while with my WIP…it occurred to me that there’s a severely underdiscussed/underexamined part of his character’s basis. That being, is he at least partially inspired by the biblical lore of Lucifer?

I think many of the elements of this argument are imminently clear. A brief look into the topic will present you with a lot of differing opinions on the actual nature of Satan within Judeo-Christian mythology, and to understand the analysis that follows, I will clarify that mythology concerning the character of Lucifer is dually referenced as both a king (of Babylon, and of Tyre in separate instances) and the typological angel cast from heaven by God.

Without requiring any kind of implied conclusions at all, the concept of angels is already presented in IX as a feature of the two (technically, three) souled genomes intended to subdue Gaia. Their creator designates them as angels of death, and like the mythological representation of angels, they are sent as representatives of another world to perform a task or communicate a message. Although all three of Zidane, Mikoto, and Kuja ultimately bear this title, the only one of the three who maintains a relationship with it throughout the story would be Kuja by virtue of his actions.

Interestingly, the Desert Palace also heavily contains what I would say looks to be European-style depictions of angels:

Note the presence of what appears to be demons here as well, which reinforces my belief of which mythos these statues are evocative of.

Beyond just the superficial use of the word angel, there are some pretty compelling similarities between Kuja’s backstory and the mythos of Satan. For context, let me clarify that there is some ambiguity in how the character of Satan/Lucifer is presented in various biblical contexts. One of the places this is found is with regards to the king of Tyre:

“Many scholars believe that though there was a human “ruler” of Tyre, the real “king” of Tyre was Satan, for it was he who was ultimately at work in this anti-God city and it was he who worked through the human ruler of the city.

Some have suggested that these verses may actually be dealing with a human king of Tyre who was empowered by Satan. Perhaps the historic king of Tyre was a tool of Satan, possibly even indwelt by him. In describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him.”[1]

With regards to Kuja’s role in the story, I find it interesting that this pertains both to Satan manipulating a king into impure actions, and also because Satan could also be said to be acting as the king himself via some form of corruption or possession – interesting given Kuja’s alias of King.

Furthermore, this king is said to be: “…portrayed as having a different nature from man (he is a cherub, verse 14); he had a different position from man (he was blameless and sinless, verse 15); he was in a different realm from man (the holy mount of God, verses 13,14); he received a different judgment from man (he was cast out of the mountain of God and thrown to the earth, verse 16); and the superlatives used to describe him don’t seem to fit that of a normal human being (“full of wisdom,” “perfect in beauty,” and having “the seal of perfection,” verse 12 NASB).[1]

Do these descriptions not also seem appropriate? We are talking about a being that is fundamentally inhuman in nature, of a greater degree of intelligence/beauty than humans, was from a realm different than man, and was cast out of this realm for rebellion.

Additionally, we have the presence of jealousy as an impetus behind betrayal of God:

“Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. . . . But when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God.”[2]

Again, I find this uncanny given the fact that Kuja’s open rebellion against Garland and his goals was ultimately brought to a head by the creation of Zidane.

Another interesting tidbit I noticed was these stained glass depictions in the Desert Palace library:

The image on the left appears to be the only humanoid depiction in the palace that has demonlike wings, whereas the other creatures appear as angels, regular humans, or gargoylesque demons. I would posit this is meant to allude to the fall of Lucifer, particularly this illustration done for Paradise Lost by Gustave Doré:

You can see here the imagery of stars. That would be because Lucifer can be interpreted as lightbringer or morning star. The latter is worth noting given that by the end of IX, Kuja’s primary moveset is pretty clearly alluding to stars and cosmic events.

(I’m less sure what the image on the right is meant to refer to. It looks like it could be an angel conferring with a figure that may be representative of God, but I’d be interested to know if anyone has a theory on that.)

Finally, the inclusion of dragons as Kuja's spirit animal of sorts also bears mentioning. Satan takes the form of a serpent in the earliest reaches of biblical lore, tempting humans with power (which sure sounds familiar), and is often referred to as a dragon. In fact, in Revelation, he takes the form of a large red dragon.

Anyway, just my stream of thoughts on the topic. What do you think? I’ve never once seen it discussed or mentioned but I’d like to know if anyone else has noticed.

(Edit: Someone mentioned in reply to my original posting of this that the righthand mosaic may be alluding to the Annunciation, that is, the announcement by the angel Gabriel that the son of God would be born. I think this appropriately juxtaposes with the fall of Satan pictured to the left - Kuja was basically cast from his creator’s favor with the arrival of Zidane, who in a similar way to Jesus was to be his creator’s chosen one to fulfill an important destiny on Earth).

My post was getting filtered out of tags for linking my citations, so I have to give them to you in text instead.

[1] How Did Lucifer Fall and Become Satan? Rod Rhodes. Christianity.com. 10/27/07. [2] When Did Satan’s Fall Occur? Ministry Magazine Archives. 01/59.

[indiavolojones]

what do you think the history between simeon and the sinblings is? like both parties hint at there having been a long standing friendship and theyre all on amicable terms with e/o even after the War (tm) maybaps left-on-good-terms-exes luci/simeon?? ex pet sitter / assistant /subordinate angel in training?? whatre your thoughts ?

hmmm!! I have a lot of logistics I haven’t worked through yet, but if you want to read an absolute dumpster fire of thoughts, it’s under the cut:

as it stands, I think that the only reason they’d send someone like Simeon along with a loose cannon kid like Luke is that Simeon is amazingly competent/devout. I’ve written about it before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celestial Realm sent Simeon 100% with the intention of being a spy/to make sure Diavolo’s not up to any shenanigans. 

(w/the added bonus of getting to see how Lucifer/the sinblings are all doing/if the Celestial Realm should be worried.)

the best way to keep their relationships intact post Celestial War would be if Simeon didn’t participate at all! like, if he was around near the beginning, but maybe he was unable to participate in the actual battle where Lucifer n the brothers fell. that way he could at least have some kind of plausible deniability in their eyes/wouldn’t be known to them as actively trying to shoot them down or be responsible for Lilith’s death lmaooo 

here are my completely pulled outta my ass headcanons until someone gives me better ones lol (WARNING: IT GOT SUPER LONG LMFAO)

*additional warning, I didn’t do any prior research, this is straight up all from my dumb brain, so if it clashes w canon, whoops??? 

Lucifer: ALRIGHT *CRACKS KNUCKLES* I’ve expressed my headcanons before that I think Lucifer probably had a big ol Thing with Michael, and Simeon probably just knew about it. I think that Simeon had a big ol boner for Lucifer just like the rest of the Celestial Realm.

He’s obviously cautious at first because Lucifer is a demon now, and exhibits a lot more violent tendencies, but he’s mainly interested in the relationship that Lucifer has with Diavolo because the reports of Lucifer aligning with the Future King of the Devildom could potentially be a VERY BAD THING…  It’s gotten a little more tense now that they’re… here. at RAD, but overall, he’s surprised to find out that Lucifer, while still an ornery old man, seems to fit in with the Devildom with ease/loosened up a little. If I’m still going by my above “Simeon is a casual spy” theory, then I think Simeon would be even more pleased!

Lucifer @ Simeon at all times is like /SUSPICIOUS STARE, even if Simeon is like, come now, Lucy. They have ex-boyfriend energy even if there was never any actual dating. Simeon is now able to tease Lucifer, unlike their time in the Celestial Realm where Lucifer had an entire tree up his ass. now it’s a more reasonable branch. 

Mammon: THERE’S ANOTHER ASK ABOUT MAMMON AND SIMEON IN MY INBOX THAT I’D LIKE TO FINISH, but I love love loooove Simeon and Mammon being acquaintances. They knew each other in the Celestial Realm, again, not besties, but I don’t see Simeon being particularly close to any of the brothers except maybe Asmo. The biggest thing that makes me laugh is that I can see Simeon/Mammon talking about Lucifer in the Celestial Realm/at RAD about Simeon’s crush on Lucifer, but to Simeon’s chagrin. 

Mammon @ Celestial Realm: he’s an asshole, you know. 

Simeon: lovely.Mammon @ RAD after seeing Simeon meet Lucifer again: … he’s still an asshole. 

Simeon: lovely. 

Mammon may be one of Simeon’s favorite brothers, because despite the greed, his ardent love for his family warms Simeon’s angel heart ;~;  

Levi: My own personal headcanon for Levi (and I’d really like to finish up writing my fic/meta for him) is that he was an angel in charge of guarding secret beasts at the bottom of the ocean! (and was a beast himself) So while he spent a majority of time in the human realm, it was in the ocean where he’d maybe get to like, see humanity from their boats a la little mermaid and ariel watching eric from the boat/on the shore? So spent like, 93% of his time alone, and the other 7% was reporting up to the Celestial Realm. 

It was a prestigious job, an honor–but was lonely, and Levi hated it. Simeon probably sees him as someone that works in another department but also like, has no personal opinion because he’s never spoken to the other–but he has heard of Leviathan’s might, of course. Present time… Simeon is baffled by all of the brother’s changes, but he has no idea how to make the connection between the mystical sea guardian Leviathan to the otaku brother that never leaves his room? regardless of Levi’s ranking in the brothers, Levi is his least threatening/least assuming to Simeon. He can also see that Levi is kind, despite all his… strange quirks, so he likes him fine! :D 

Simeon also has a reputation among the angels, so Levi probably knews of him too! There was no reason for Simeon to talk to him when they were angels, and there’s honestly no other reason for Simeon to talk to him now. It’s probably because of the exchange program trying to make them friends or something, but there’s… he’d never actually want to be friends with Levi, so that’s stupid. 

(He doesn’t mind when Simeon talks to him about things, though, so it’s nice. Even if he’s sus of it.)  

Satan: Since Satan was born after the fall, I feel like Simeon would know this brother the least! He’s incredibly curious to meet “Lucifer’s Wrath”, having heard many reports about this in heaven. He’s probably pleasantly surprised to see that Satan is far more charming than the initial reports of savagery from when he was first born. Simeon sees a lot of Lucifer in him, but there’s a more wild/freer nature to him than Lucifer’s iron will @ all times. 

All in all, not a bad devil, but Simeon is reasonably watchful of him at all times due to his history. They get along fine in classes/they’re perfectly civil with each other! Satan probably thinks that Simeon watches him with a bit more interest than comfortable, but he also gets it. Satan wants to see Simeon get riled up though, out of scientific curiosity :3c

Asmo: This one is a BLATANT indulgent headcanon, not much canon to back it up except for that one time that Simeon said Asmo is still as beautiful as he was in heaven sflkasdkf. No idea what Asmo did before, but I’d like to imagine Simeon and Asmo were actually friends! Asmo’s beauty was widely regarded, and perhaps they would talk in passing? About Lucifer in most cases, lmao, but sometimes they’d chat.

Their distance when reunited in the Devildom is 100% Asmo being flippant about the fall, and being self conscious in front of his old friend about how much he’s changed. Asmo being torn between being upset to hear if Simeon thinks less of him for being who he is/aggressively “uncaring”. Who cares what anyone thinks of him, you know? He knows he’s beautiful. (But Simeon knew him when he was loved without being a sexual creature, and that… stings.) 

Simeon thinks while Asmo has definitely picked up less than delightful personality traits, is actually… happy to see that Asmodeus still has his family around. He’s happy to see the other seems at ease, even if he doesn’t truly know the depths of Asmo’s insecurities. It’s a little offputting to have Asmo treat him flippantly/deny their past, but hey, he understands. There’s a lot of history between them, both their own and the sins of others. deep down, Simeon genuinely adores Asmo, and Asmo is CONFUSED by the fact that Simeon is trying to act like nothing’s changed when everything has! how dare he! is he mocking asmo! rude! 

(somethin like that, idk) 

Beel: Simeon worries about Beel’s ability to eat anything and everything as much as the next person. The gluttony is hard for him to stomach, being a holy prick and all, but Beel as a personality is obviously soft and tender, and Simeon thinks that’s sweet. 

in current times, Simeon makes some great fuckin’ snacks, he loves Simeon. Simeon just seems like a pleasant dude, and Beel’s never really that interested in him past like, basic civil decency. Which is pretty funny ajskdjfas  Beel’s memories of the Celestial Realm all probably revolve around his family/when Lilith was alive, so he’d distantly remember Simeon but it’s.. hard. that time is hard for him. 

Belphegor: In the Celestial Realm, Beel and Belphie where honestly like… Lucifer’s kid brothers that he may have seen or interacted with a few times in passing. In present canon, Simeon is Very Aware of Belphegor. The biggest threat of the brothers at this point in time, especially after all of the murdering and timeline switches. He may not admit it, but he is keeping a Close Eye on Belphie, regardless of his sudden shift to adoring MC. 

Belphie probably knew about Simeon, just because of Simeon’s rank but again, they’re… little brothers. (I’d love to see them being portrayed as a little bit older than Luke during the Celestial War? Just angsty teenagers Belphie and Beel.) Belphie has been distrustful of angels since the Celestial War, and it probably carries into present canon. Especially because Simeon watches him with a careful eye and Belphie isn’t fucking blind–but hey, he gets it too. He did plan to destroy the human realm. 

I can see Belphie being the only brother to actively dislike Simeon–he’ll be civil at combined Lucifer/Diavolo threat for Lucifer’s sake, but also Belphie is a sour bitch and thinks Simeon is the snakiest one of them all. (not true, belphie, you’re projECTING!!!) obviously, this is all never spoken out loud and they all just exist near each other. cautiously. 

lmfao because it would be like, 

Beel: look at these sandwiches Simeon gave me! 

Belphie: whatever.

LASTLY I’D LIKE TO @canonlucidia​ BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY GOOD IDEAS, AND I’M SURE THEY COULD CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING MUCH BETTER!!!!!! 

[allgirlsareprincesses]

The Quest for the Lost Bride: Anidala (and Reylo) as Orpheus and Eurydice

One of the theories I’ve found intriguing since belatedly joining the Reylo fandom has been that of Reverse Anidala, or the idea that the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala is being told in reverse, as the joyous romance of Ben Solo and Rey of Jakku. When researching folktale types for my Reylo as Eros and Psyche analysis, I came across the apparent inverse of ATU 425: The Search for the Lost Husband, which is ATU 400: The Quest for the Lost Bride. If Star Wars does indeed draw on mythology from around the world, and the theory of Reverse Anidala is correct, it seems reasonable that Anakin and Padme’s tale would match closely to these Lost Bride tales, the most famous of which is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. On the surface, the mythological motifs in the Prequel Trilogy didn’t seem as distinct as those of the Sequel Trilogy, but a deeper dive demonstrated that George Lucas is, in fact, the inspired genius we all know him to be (awkward dialogue notwithstanding).

Quest for the Lost Bride tales include, just like Search for the Lost Husband stories, variations such as the Animal Bride and Supernatural Bride. There is slightly less standardization in the Bride tales than the Husband ones, even within a single cultural tradition: for instance, some versions of the Orpheus tale end with the eternal separation of the lovers, while others include the eventual happy reunion in the Underworld after Orpheus’ death. However, the most well-known of these stories are tragedies, so I’ll be focusing on those, including both Virgil and Ovid’s versions of Orpheus and Eurydice, several versions of The Swan Maiden, The Crane Wife, the Shinto creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami, and more. As some of these involve faith traditions that are still practiced to this day, I will try to handle them respectfully, but I would appreciate a generous correction if you feel my treatment has been in any way insensitive.

Orpheus was the son of Apollo, the sun god, and Calliope, chief of the muses who presided over epic poetry. He was best known as a uniquely-skilled musician and poet, whose music could charm all living things and even cause rocks and trees to dance. In some versions of the tale, Apollo gives Orpheus a golden lyre and teaches him to play it, and this hero is nearly always associated with magic or witchcraft. While the Greek story presents Orpheus as an artistic soul, both contemporary and later critics scoffed at this as his “unmanliness.” They would often blame the hero’s loss of his wife on the husband’s failures of traditional, aggressive masculinity. Accordingly, later iterations of the Quest for the Lost Bride folktale type have the hero as a warrior, king, or prince.

There’s a lot of Anakin Skywalker here already, both from a canonical perspective and a fandom perspective. The son of an inspiring woman and The Force itself (which is the deity of the Star Wars universe), Anakin is essentially a demigod, and his extraordinary skill with the Force is clearly a gift from that powerful “father.” His power does sometimes take on an artistic, charming character (and as a calligrapher, his grandson has clearly inherited this artistic spirit), as when he floated the pear to Padme, but the Jedi force him to turn his skills to war instead. Anakin is pressed into a violent role at odds with the selfless soul his mother Shmi describes, and even the fans at times seemed dissatisfied with his softer nature. This is part of the reason that the Clone Wars TV show portrayed him as much more traditionally masculine. We recognize both versions of the character as Anakin Skywalker, but they each reflect a particular audience perspective, just as the different mythical Husbands do.

Eurydice, on the other hand, is hardly described at all in the myth. Unusually, there’s not even a mention of her particular beauty. It seems she is just the object of Orpheus love and no more, leading to a great deal of excellent feminist criticism (which we’ll get into later). However, other versions of the Lost Bride give us more detail: most notable is that the heroine is nearly always a fairy or other ethereal creature, who hails from a mystical world apart from the mortal realm. She might be a fairy princess, a selkie, a mermaid, a swan, a crane, or even a goddess. Frequently, she must be enticed or abducted from this other world and her means of returning to it must be destroyed (usually with the typical burning of the animal skin). In some versions of the tale, she even had another husband before the hero captured her. She comes to love her new husband sincerely and live happily with him for a time, but there is always a sense of her being out of place.

When Anakin meets Padme as a child, his first words to her are “Are you an angel?” This has always struck me as a fascinating artistic choice by George Lucas, a man who so enjoyed worldbuilding that he frankly got a little carried away with it in much of the Prequel Trilogy. He certainly could have chosen a Star Wars-y sounding name for this alien race of ethereal beings from the moons of Iego, but he chose something with a very specific and recognizable meaning: Angel. He knew that this word would immediately communicate what a convoluted explanation of in-world lore (*cough* midichlorians *cough*) would not: an image of purity, kindness, and beauty. Padme is cast as a supernatural image of perfection, and we understand immediately that the lovesick Anakin has placed her on a pedestal, seeing her forever as Angel rather than as Woman. To marry Anakin, Padme must to some extent turn her back on her principles (remember her insistence that she couldn’t “live a lie?”), and is then torn between her loyalty to her husband and to democracy. In a sense, she has been plucked from the fairy world of Naboo and drawn into a marriage that, though filled with genuine love, places her at odds with her true nature.

In Quest for the Lost Bride tales, this duality of the lady is often expressed by the Animal Bride motif, with the heroine taking one form when she is away from her fairy world, and another when she is in her natural home. This might be taken further by having a false bride, a variation best known from the Black Swan of the Swan Lake ballet. In this example, the bride’s false nature is personified as a completely separate woman, while her true self exists in the form that the hero first falls in love with. Interestingly, this appears to be referenced in the costuming of Queen Amidala and her decoy, Sabe: During the invasion of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, Sabe wears a towering robe of black feathers. Later in the finale, Padme wears a similarly-feathered gown of soft white layers.

In Attack of the Clones, we see this duality within Padme herself in the two scenes in which she confronts her feelings for Anakin: When she denies her feelings for him and declares that they cannot be together, she wears a jarringly seductive black dress. This is clearly not her true self. Later on Geonosis, when she finally declares her love for him, Padme is clad in pure white. She then wears white again as she binds herself to him in marriage. Still another variant of the two brides theme is the human woman versus the shade (sometimes a rotting corpse), but we’ll get to that later….

Orpheus and Eurydice’s union seems to be doomed from the outset, as Hymen, the Greek god of marriage, fails to bless their marriage. Eurydice is then pursued by an insistent suitor, and in fleeing him, steps on a viper and dies of a poisonous bite to the heel, descending to the Underworld for eternity. In other Lost Bride tales, the enchanted wife returns to the fairy realm or retreats into her animal form, often after a betrayal by her husband. In the Maori tale of Mataora and Niwareka, husband Mataora strikes his spirit wife Niwareka across the face, and she flees back to her homeland because domestic violence is unheard of among her people. And in the Shinto creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami, wife Izanami dies in childbirth, burned to death when giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi. In fact, it’s extremely common for the fairy wife to flee or die after giving birth to her husband’s children.

Again, the parallels to Anakin and Padme’s story should be obvious: Since marriage is forbidden by the Jedi Order, the couple’s nuptials must remain a secret, meaning their union is never blessed by the powers of their world. Though Padme has no suitor, we see Anakin in Revenge of the Sith split into two people: the Jedi who loves his wife, and Darth Vader, who bids her join him in his galactic domination. In that sense, Vader is the dark rival for Padme’s affections. Further, he cements the loss of his wife with the ultimate marital betrayal, attempting to strangle her with the Force. And finally, Padme dies after giving birth to the twins, at the same moment that Vader rises from the flames that consumed Anakin Skywalker. The Lost Bride descends to the Underworld, and now begins the husband’s Quest.

One of my favorite sources for this analysis was In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender, by Barbara Fass Leavy. I strongly recommend checking it out, but this is one of her excellent points that caught my eye:

“.... according to the tale type Index, wives search for their lost spouses, whereas husbands who have lost fairy wives embark on quests - a particular irony given that the searching women characteristically win back their spouses and the questing men characteristically do not.”

I find this fascinating as a commentary on the perspective of both the storyteller and the audience in the Prequel Trilogy versus the Sequel Trilogy: the traditional tales seem to assign greater agency to the men, but greater success to the women. This can be seen in the prequels when Padme seems unusually passive and even dies of a “broken heart,” despite having two children to live for, as many have pointed out. Further, the first six films of the Skywalker saga are told from a masculine perspective, so a Quest for the Lost Bride tale seems like a natural fit. In the sequels, however, the perspective has shifted to the feminine, attempting to assign greater agency to the heroine and leading her toward a successful retrieval of the Lost Husband. This is important, because from this point onward in the myth, I’m going to be applying more and more of the story motifs to the Sequel Trilogy, not just the Prequels.

Back to the Quest: Orpheus, devastated by his wife’s death, roams the earth playing mournful tunes on his lyre. Eventually, he decides to descend to the Underworld and plead with Hades and Persephone for his wife, referencing their own love story to appeal to their empathy. Just because it’s gorgeous, here’s part of his song:

“Let me again Eurydice receive, 

Let Fate her quick-spun thread of life reweave. 

All our possessions are but loans from you, 

And soon, or late, you must be paid your due; 

Hither we haste to humankind's last seat, 

Your endless empire, and our sure retreat. 

She too, when ripened years she shall attain, 

Must, of avoidless right, be yours again: 

I but the transient use of that require, 

Which soon, too soon, I must resign entire. 

But if the destinies refuse my vow, 

And no remission of her doom allow; 

Know, I'm determined to return no more; 

So both retain, or both to life restore.”

*MELTS* So anyway, his song works and they tell him he can lead Eurydice out of the Underworld, BUT she must walk behind him and he must not look back at her even once, or else she will spend eternity as a shade in Hell. In other tales, the husband might be instructed never to look upon the wife’s animal form (The Crane Wife), or upon her rotting corpse (Izanagi & Izanami), or he may be given another admonishment from his father-in-law as to the acceptable treatment of the daughter. Invariably, the hero swears he will obey, but whether an hour or many years later, he fails. In Orpheus’ case, he is nearly returned to the land of the living when he is unable to resist the temptation to glance back and check that Eurydice has not lost her footing. She vanishes, and Orpheus (described thereafter as having a “frozen breast”) is again wracked by grief, swearing off of [sexual] contact with women and again roaming the world singing songs of sorrow.

If the “look back” can be seen as a loss of faith, or a fall to the temptation for power, then Anakin certainly demonstrated this in his reach for the power that Sidious offered. Padme begs him to run away with her, to turn back toward the Light, but Anakin “looks back” to the powerful promise of the Dark Side and loses her forever. Similarly, Ben Solo gazes at Rey across the burning throne room, clearly thinking only of being with her…. Until he “looks back” at Snoke’s throne, and is pulled back into the fear and bitterness that have kept him trapped in the dark for so long. Within her own Search for the Lost Husband journey, this is the moment that Rey also sees Ben’s true form, and realizes that she has to leave him. The lovers are separated (for now), until the husband can reject the lure of power and keep faith with his wife.

I’m very much not the expert here (that’s @corseque ), but we know from the Darth Vader comics that he was trying for the rest of his life to bring Padme back from death. We don’t really know how near he was to success, but that story may be relevant to the plot in The Rise of Skywalker. In any case, the myth now starts to get very interesting: Feeling spurned, a group of Maenads (female devotees of Dionysus) attack Orpheus in a forest and literally, gruesomely tear him limb from limb, until the ground is littered with body parts. This is actually a fairly common event in Greek mythology, such that it even has a name: Sparagmos, “to tear apart.” TEAR APART. Anakin, of course, did indeed lose limbs at the time of his “death,” when Obi-Wan cut off his legs and then Sidious raised him as Vader. If Reverse Anidala is true, and Ben Solo begins his story at a moment parallel to when Anakin Skywalker ended his, then of course the son of Leia sobs in the first sequel film: “I am being torn apart.” It’s poetry; it rhymes.

(GIF source: @mamalaz)

After his death, Orpheus’ head floats down a river on his lyre, continuing to sing his mournful songs to all who will hear. It eventually lands on the island of Lesbos, where it prophecies and eventually becomes as famous as the Oracle of Apollo. As I mentioned in my previous post, the iconic helmet of the tragic fallen hero does make an appearance in the ST, and it even seems that Kylo Ren is seeking wisdom from it. Apollo and the Muses finally take pity on poor Orpheus, and they bury his limbs. In some versions, the story ends here with a nightingale taking up the song of the lost lovers, but in others, Orpheus finally descends to the Underworld and is reunited with Eurydice, and they spend eternity together, hand-in-hand. Perhaps this means that Anakin may finally return to Padme and they may be together in the Force.

Among the other stories of the Lost Bride type are details that also align well with the Skywalker Saga: In the Shinto tale mentioned above, Izanagi fails to retrieve his wife but then begets Amaterasu (the sun goddess) and Tsukuyomi (the moon god). Anakin’s children Luke and Leia are visually associated with the sun and moon throughout the films, and similar imagery is used for Ben and Rey (NOT suggesting they’re siblings, people, just descendants of the Skywalker legacy, geez).

Another feature of these tales is the original meeting of the wedded pair: While in Orpheus and Eurydice their initial meeting is unrecorded, most stories actually include the abduction of the bride, either physically or by default because the husband has hidden or burned her animal skin. While this doesn’t really apply to Anidala, it certainly applies to Reylo, as Kylo of course carries Rey off to Starkiller Base. But it applies in another way, as well: In The Last Jedi, Ben breaks down Rey’s lies that she has told herself about her parents, in a sense burning away the protective skin of denial that she has, rendering it impossible for her to return to her childlike state. This is in a way another abduction, as Rey is forcibly pulled from her enchanted form to her true self.

(GIF source: @lyanna-stark)

There is also the common motif of recognition, which appears in the Search for the Lost Husband, as well. Often, when the lovers are separated, the lost spouse forgets the questing spouse and does not recognize them when they come to the rescue. Their memory is usually jogged by the spouse performing a unique task that only they can do, or by returning a gift which was once given before. From The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales: “It is interesting to note how these extended narratives tend to duplicate the motifs by repeating them in reverse order - she recovers her suit, and he recovers her; she presents a ring, and he represents it to regain her.”

In Revenge of the Sith, Padme cries to Anakin “I don’t know you any more!” clearly stating that she no longer recognizes her husband. While we have yet to see those characters’ reunion, there is a particular moment of recognition in the ST, related to a powerful object which has been previously offered as a gift: the legacy lightsaber. When Rey calls the saber to her in The Force Awakens, Kylo breathes “It is you” in the novel, clearly recognizing her in some way. There are hints that Rey also recalls him on a subconscious level, though for now we can only speculate how. Still, it’s clear that many more legacy objects are going to appear in TROS, so there will be plenty of opportunity for Rey to get a reminder!

In Barbara Leavy’s book, she mentions that the central thesis of these folktale types seems to be that the relationship between spouses is the basis for peace and stability in the world:

“These examples of emotional failure are significant because they suggest that even were it true that romantic love is an invention of modern Western literature, its elements not to be read into narratives where they do not apply, the importance of emotional bonds in the marital relationship has probably always been recognized. The breakdown in the attachment of husband and wife is a significant feature of some of the world’s most widely-told stories. So long as the family supplies society with a basic structural unit, the affective tensions within the family will be crucial aspects of daily life and the narratives that grow out of it.”

As applied to the Skywalker Saga, I take this to mean that the wars of in “Star Wars” are tied to the breakdown of the marriage of our central characters: Anakin and Padme, and later (to a lesser extent) Han and Leia. It follows then that this central conflict can only be resolved by the healing of the bond between husband and wife. When we say that the Skywalker Saga is the story of generational trauma, this is what we mean, and it is a tragically relatable tale for much of the audience. We see the sorrow of our broken families writ large in a violent conflict across an entire galaxy far, far away, and we yearn for hope and healing.

Leavy further illuminates an aspect of these stories - Psyche’s Search and Orpheus’ Quest - that I find particularly fascinating in light of the frequently gendered discourse around Star Wars:

“If it is true that the Orpheus tale is as favored by men as the Cupid and Psyche tale is favored by women, then male storytellers appear to be expressing through these narratives their difficulties in achieving self-definition consistent with stereotypical ideals of manhood. The typical success experienced by Psyche and the equally typical failure encountered by Orpheus can be profitably analyzed in the context of a recent study of the difference between the ways in which men and women respond to their own fantasies:

‘women would see deprivation followed by enhancement, whereas men would see enhancement followed by deprivation.’ In contrast to women, ‘men showed a preference for extreme endings, which revealed itself most clearly in the tendency of men to see any decline or fall as abrupt, total and final. The possibility of a resurgence or second chance, which is implicit in the female pattern, does not seem very real for men. Perhaps an important difference is that the woman is socialized to lose (or give up) control without panic, and that she picks up as a positive concomitant to her submission confidence of recovery in the face of failure or suffering.’”

If I may generalize, the Star Wars fans who seem to want or expect a tragic ending for Ben Solo predominantly identify as men, whereas those who want or expect his redemption and happy ending predominantly identify as women. It seems that the Star Wars fandom does bear out Leavy’s claim that men relate to the tragic Quest for the Lost Bride, which contains harsh punishment for the failures of its hero, while women prefer the Search for the Lost Husband, which rewards its heroine’s persistence with a passionate love. Again, this is a generalization, as obviously individuals of all genders and none can enjoy a wide range of stories.

Many critical analyses of Orpheus and Eurydice point out that there is a distinct power imbalance between the pair, and that therefore a happy ending can only occur if the husband successfully subjugates his wife. Much of the hero’s actions seem to be an attempt to control his wife or control her fate, and this is nearly always characterized as a character flaw on his part. In fact, the descent into the Underworld is sometimes interpreted not as an expression of death-defying love, but of an unwillingness to accept the finality of death, or a failure to accept that the fairy wife has chosen to flee of her own volition. On the rare occasions when the husband successfully retrieves the lost bride from the mystical realm, it is usually not because he approached her with humility and remorse for his lack of faith, but because he vanquished her demon lover. On the other hand, some stories actually switch perspectives from husband to wife after the bride is lost, and the tale suddenly becomes the Search for the Lost Husband, with all its typical features. When the lovers are equals and the wife pursues the husband, then their reunion is successful and lasting. This seems to be happening both on a large scale within the full nine films of the saga, and on a smaller scale within the Sequel Trilogy itself, as Anakin and Ben follow Orpheus’ path while Rey alone follows Psyche’s, which is an excellent sign for Ben’s redemption and happy union with his bride in The Rise of Skywalker.

So there you have it…. Yet another big-ass meta that hopefully demonstrates the genius mythology of the Star Wars saga, and not just the fact that I’ve spent way too much time researching this. Thanks for reading and as always, feedback is welcome!

Previous posts in this series:

The Search for the Lost Husband: Reylo as Eros and Psyche

More Search for the Lost Husband: The Burning of the Beast’s Skin in Star Wars

This post is dedicated to @ahsokaeden65, who gave me a gentle kick in the butt to finish it! <3